March 12 is deadline for urban tree grants

The first round of the Community Reforestation (CoRe) Grant Program is now open. Applications will be accepted until 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12.

Applications must be submitted through the SFS Grants Management System (SFS). Those wishing to apply need to establish an account in SFS. Once registered, search SFS for “CoRe.” For more details about the grant opportunity, including application and scoring criteria, visit DEC’s website or email urbanforestry@dec.ny.gov.

Not-for-profit organizations, municipalities and Indian Tribes and Nations may get new grant funding for community reforestation from New York State.

The competitive CoRe Grant Program will support planting new trees and restoring tree cover in natural areas in urban communities.

Urban neighborhoods typically have lower tree canopy and heightened environmental challenges compared to more rural areas. The majority of the grant funding—$12 million—is available for to reimburse costs for projects to create new forests or restore forests impacted by invasive species or other environmental challenges.

Eligible CoRe projects include planting trees, preparing sites and removing competing or invasive vegetation interfering with tree seedling growth, and/or protecting new plantings from deer browse.

Additional consideration will be given to projects that benefit disadvantaged communities or communities with low Tree Equity scores, which measure the intersection of urban tree canopy and a population’s social vulnerability. Funds cannot be used for real property (land) acquisition or for planting and maintenance of individual street or park trees.

In addition to the CoRe Grant Program, $4.5 million was previously announced and currently available through the Establishing Large Forests (ELF) Grant Program for private landowners to establish new forests. ELF builds on New York State’s popular Regenerate NY Forestry Cost Share Grant Program and is designed to support the creation of new forests crucial for mitigating climate change, providing wildlife habitat, protecting air and water quality, and supplying timber, an important renewable resource.