LINCOLN, Neb., September 5, 2024 /3BL/ – The Arbor Day Foundation subawards $4.7 million in urban forestry grants to 18 community-based nonprofits in partnership with the USDA Forest Service. The Foundation’s Community Roots Program, a grant opportunity established with Inflation Reduction Act funds, saw great demand in its first phase with more than 230 applicants.
The grants awarded will be used to plant trees, grow green spaces, and foster environmental justice in disadvantaged communities of greatest need, as defined by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool. Proposed projects range in focus from addressing the urban heat island effect, to natural disaster recovery, to establishing food forests. A full list of the community-based nonprofit subawardees is below.
“Trees are a critical part of building healthy and resilient cities. The overwhelming response to our Community Roots Program underscores the immense need for continued investment in urban and community forestry,” said Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation. “We’re confident these local organizations will leverage this funding to maximize the positive impact trees can have in the neighborhoods that need it most.”
The USDA Forest Service awarded the Arbor Day Foundation a $50 million Inflation Reduction Act grant in 2023. The nonprofit has already subawarded $27 million of the funding to municipalities in 14 states.
The same grant helped the Arbor Day Foundation create the Community Roots Program. The program’s first phase subawarded funding to community-based nonprofits. The second phase will subaward $8 million to Tribes and Tribal organizations across the country. The application portal for this second phase of funding will remain open through September 30 and can be accessed here.
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COMMUNITY ROOTS PROGRAM FUNDING RECIPIENTS
 AwardeeProject NameArea of FocusAlief Super Neighborhood CouncilAlief Arbor InitiativeAlief, TXAlliance for Cape Fear TreesCapacity Building to Improve the Canopy Through Integrated Tree Care and Community OutreachWilmington, NCBeyond Housing24:1 Tree Canopy RestorationSt. Louis, MODenver Urban GardensDig Deeper Initiative: Food ForestsDenver, COForest ReLeaf of MissouriCommuniTree Program ExpansionKansas City & St. Louis, MO, and communities across MissouriFriends of Bellefontaine CemeteryEnhancing Community and Ecological Health through Tree ManagementSt. Louis, MOFriends of the RappahannockExpanding Urban and Community Forestry Opportunities in the Rappahannock and York River WatershedVarious communities in VirginiaFriends of the Urban ForestAdopt-A-Yard-TreeSan Francisco, CAMississippi Children’s Museum-MeridianDeep Roots Urban Pocket ParkMeridian, MSNewport Tree ConservancyIncreasing Tree Canopy and Environmental Stewardship in NewportNewport, RIOregon Urban Rural and Community ForestryRogue Valley’s Treesilience: Transforming Urban Canopies TogetherJackson County, ORRoytens Enrichment Academy Community Hope (REACH)TreeVitalize: Sowing Community Roots TogetherCalifornia City, CASacramento Tree FoundationCommunity Forests and EducationSacramento, CAServe Ethiopians WashingtonSouth King County Tree CaptainsSeattle, WASpeak for the TreesNeighborWoodsBoston, MASustaining Our Urban Landscape (SOUL)Reforesting New Orleans’ Lower 9th WardNew Orleans, LATree TrustCooling Northern Dakota CountyMinneapolis-Saint Paul, MNReTreeUsGrowing Roots of Environmental Justice through School and Community Orchard Capacity BuildingVarious communities across Maine and New Hampshire
About the Arbor Day Foundation
Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation is the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. Together with our partners, we have helped plant more than 500 million trees in neighborhoods, communities, cities and forests throughout the world. Our vision is to lead toward a world where trees are used to solve issues critical to survival. Through our members, partners and programs, the Arbor Day Foundation inspires people across the globe to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. More information is available at arborday.org.
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