Urban & Community Forestry Grant Program Overview

The goal of the Urban & Community Forestry Grant Program is to improve public understanding of the benefits of preserving existing tree cover in communities and assist local governments with projects which will lead to a more effective and efficient management of urban and community forests.

Grants are awarded on an annual basis through the USDA Forest Service and are administered by the NC Division of Forest Resources, Urban & Community Forestry Program. The program awards matching funds to encourage citizen involvement in creating and sustaining urban and community forestry programs. Grant funds may be awarded to any unit of local or state government, public educational institutions, approved non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations and other tax-exempt organizations. First-time municipal applicant and municipalities seeking Tree City USA status are given priority for funding.

Grant funds can be used to:

• Provide educational programs and technical assistance to communities, individuals and organizations;
• Establish demonstration projects to illustrate the benefits of forest cover and trees within an urban setting and solve a specifically described problem;
• Enhance the technical skills of individuals involved in the planning, development and maintenance of urban and community forests;
• Promote volunteerism, multi-cultural awareness, and involvement of non-profit organizations in implementing urban and community forestry programs, particularly in communities where participation in urban and community forestry efforts has been limited;
• Assistance in meeting the requirements for Tree City USA and Tree City Growth Awards.

Annual Grant Timeline:

• Grant cycle opens January 1 of each year.
• Grant workshops offered January-February of each year.
• Grant applications/proposals due by March 31 at 5:00pm
• Grant awards determined and recipients notified early to mid-July.
• Grant projects begin September 1 and must be completed by August 31.

Grant requests should range between $1,000 and $15,000. Exceptions are described under Special Funding Category within the Application Guidelines. Funding requests for more than $15,000 will be reviewed only after consultation with the Grant Administrator prior to application. Funding is for programs, projects or activities not currently being funded and cannot be used to substitute for existing funds. Funds may be used within existing programs to initiate new program development or program expansion. Funding is not available for entertainment, food and beverages, computers, tree maintenance, or construction and landscape supplies/equipment.

The Urban & Community Forestry Grant Program funds must be matched equally (dollar for dollar) with non-federal funds. Match may be in the form of cash purchase or in-kind contributions, and all such contributions must come from non-federal sources. Matching funds for this project may not be used as a match for any other federal cost-share project and must be specifically related to the proposed project. Documentation of all matching support must be maintained and submitted with reimbursement.