NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry is providing funding through the Urban and Community Forestry Inflation Reduction Act Grant Program to promote the creation, enhancement, and protection of urban and community forest ecosystems in disadvantaged communities.
“This grant program provides funding to invest in our state’s urban and community forests, in disadvantaged communities with low tree canopy,” State Forester David Arnold said. “Trees, forests, and greenspaces provide a multitude of health, economic, and environmental benefits such as protecting our creeks and streams, providing wildlife habitat, removing pollution from air, providing buffers from sound and wind, improving mental and physical health, and increasing property values.”
Local governments, nonprofits, and public higher educational institutions are eligible for program funding. Awards range from $10,000 to $225,000 for approved projects.
Projects must focus exclusively on disadvantaged communities identified by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool. Funding may be used to support new initiatives, programs, projects, staff positions, or activities focused on urban and community forestry management, tree planting, program development or capacity building, urban and community wood utilization, and/or workforce development.
Project proposals must be submitted through the grant portal by 5 p.m. CT on Feb. 2, 2024 at tnforestry.submittable.com/submit.
To receive assistance during proposal development, email Urban and Community Forestry Program Coordinator Ashley Kite-Rowland at ashley.kite-rowland@tn.gov.
For more information on this grant opportunity, visit: www.tn.gov/agriculture/forests/urban/funding.html.
The Division of Forestry protects and promotes the responsible use of forest resources in Tennessee. Focus areas include assisting landowners with a variety of services, providing quality tree seedlings, supporting forest health programs, collecting forest inventory data, assisting forest industries, and fighting wildland fires. Visit www.tn.gov/agriculture/forests for more information.