Arbor Day grants
Applications are due Feb. 28 for grants for small communities to have an Arbor Day tree-planting event and to establish a community- based forestry program.
Grants of up to $1,000 will be awarded to communities or nonprofits that work in partnership with communities to celebrate Arbor Day 2017 by both planting a tree (or trees) and forming a volunteer tree committee or tree board within the municipality.
Get more details on the grants and an application.
The grants were announced by the New York State Urban Forestry Council. The funding has been provided by the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Urban Forestry Program (and is not associated with the Arbor Day Foundation nor part of the NYS DEC EPF community grants program).
DEC Urban Forestry Grants
Applications are due at 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 1 for Urban Forestry Grants from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Eligible entities are municipalities, public benefit corporations, public authorities, school districts, soil and water conservation districts, community colleges, not-for-profit organizations and Indian nations or tribes.
Awards range from $11,000 to $75,000, depending on the municipal population.
Grant proposals should detail the scope of work and how the project will provide environmental, economic, and/or social benefits in the community. Consideration should be given to underserved neighborhoods, as well as environmental issues of local concern. Applicants are also encouraged to form regional partnerships and submit proposals that help to implement watershed protection and initiatives with green solutions that will have the support of their Regional Economic Development Council.
See the story of how the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy received one of these grants in 2011.
To see the instructions and application, Go to the New York State Grants Gateway, then go to Browse Opportunities > DEC > 2016 Urban and Community Forestry Grants Program (Round 13)- Tree Planting or Tree Maintenance Projects. For more information, call the DEC at (518) 402-9425.
The projects can be part of a municipality becoming a Certified Climate Smart Community.
Urban tree of year is chestnut oak
The chestnut oak has been named the Urban Tree of the Year for 2017 by the Society of Municipal Arborists.
There’s growing interest in using chestnut oak in the urban environment because it is pH-adaptable, handles dry soils and periods of drought, has a beautiful mature form, requires minimal pruning and tends to be free of major pests and diseases.
See photos and more details on the site of the New York State Urban Forestry Council.