Usda Forestry Services Awards $1.1 Million In Urban And Community Forestry Grants
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $1,155,756 in federal grants to 14 organizations for the nation’s urban and community forests. The organizations will match those funds with an additional $1,666,135 for research and education projects for urban forests.
Recipients of the cost-share grants were selected in a competitive process, based on criteria developed by the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC). The council reviews the proposals and makes recommendations to the Forest Service, which awards the grants.
The grants fund projects in four categories:
–urban and community forestry for and with minority and underserved populations;
–promoting livable communities;
–communication programs; and
–research and technology development.
Recipients are:
Earthcorps, Seattle, Wash;
Tree Research & Edowment Fund, Champaign, Ill.;
National Network of Forest Practitioners, Providence, R.I.;
Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, Va.;
Local Government Commission, Sacramento, Calif.;
University of Delaware, Newark, Del.;
Community-Based Communications, L.L.C., Cheverly, Md.;
Tree Musketeers, El Segundo, Calif.;
American Forests, Washington, D.C.;
Texas Cooperative Extension, College Station, Texas;
Morton Arboretum and the National Working Group on Root Depth in Planting, Lisle, Ill.;
Rainbow TreeCare Scientific Advancements, St. Louis Park, Minn.;
ArborMaster Training, Inc., Willington, Conn.
Previous grants resulted in developing community forest plans, methods for identifying the costs and benefits of trees in communities, ways to conserve energy, techniques for communities to care for their forests, and educational programs to promote the importance of urban and community forestry.
Since NUCFAC’s establishment, the Forest Service has supported 137 competitive cost-share proposals that promote urban and community forestry nationwide. Proposals are submitted in a variety of categories and announced by NUCFAC in the fall of each year.
Established under the 1990 Farm Bill, the 15-member council advises the department on the care and management of trees, forests and related natural resources in urban and community settings throughout the nation.
Council members include representatives from communities, universities, non-profit forestry and conservation citizen organizations, landscape and design consultants, the forest product or nursery industry, professional renewable natural resource organizations, and USDA.
Members of the Council serve without compensation and dedicate approximately 100 hours each year.