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Johanns Announces More Than $860,000 In Urban And Community Forestry Grants

Press Office

CASTLE ROCK, Wash., -

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today announced $863,114 in federal grants to 13 organizations for Urban and Community Forestry. The organizations will match those funds with an additional $1,001,533.

"These grants will help fund programs that improve the quality of the environment and the quality of life in our nation's communities," said Johanns. "They will also help promote the ecological, economic, and social values of healthy urban and community forests."

Johanns made the announcement in remarks at an event observing the 25th Anniversary of the Mount St. Helens eruption at the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument Forest Learning Center.

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). NUCFAC reviewed the proposals and made its recommendations to the USDA Forest Service, which awards the grants.

The grants fund projects in four categories:

  • urban and community forestry for and with minority and underserved populations;
  • urban forest resource management;
  • communicating the value of urban and community forestry; and
  • research and technology development.

The 13 recipients are: Trees, Water & People (Fort Collins, Colo.); Delaware Center for Horticulture (Wilmington, Del.); Soundprint Media Center, Inc. (Laurel, Md.); University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.); ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability (Berkeley, Calif.); Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, (Virginia Beach, Va.); Goleta Valley Beautiful (Goleta, Calif.); University of Washington (Seattle, Wash.); Iowa State University (Ames, Iowa); Cornell University (Ithaca, N.Y.); City Parks Foundation (Flushing, N.Y.); University of Illinois (Urbana, Ill.); and Auburn University (Auburn, Ala.). Additional information on each recipient is below.

Previous grants resulted in developing 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 under the 1990 Farm Bill, the Forest Service has funded 150 competitive cost-share projects recommended by NUCFAC that promote urban and community forestry nationwide. The 15-member council advises the Secretary on the care and management of trees, forests and related natural resources in urban and community settings throughout the nation. NUCFAC 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 NUCFAC serve without compensation and dedicate approximately 100 hours each year.

 

2005 URBAN AND COMMUNITY GRANT RECIPIENTS

CATEGORY 1: Urban and community forestry for and with minority and underserved populations to improve the involvement of minority and underserved populations in the development and delivery of urban and community forestry programs, and improve public and private services to minority and underserved populations.

Honoring Mother Earth: Engaging Native Americans in Community Restoration (Trees, Water & People, Fort Collins, Colo.)

Grant Amount
Forest Service Grant: $24,157
Matching Institution Grant: $24,157
Total $48,314

CATEGORY 2: Urban forest resource management to advance and promote the current body of knowledge, views, and practice of urban and community forest management from sustaining a healthy population of publicly owned trees to the management of all trees and associated resources within the urban environment.

"Trees are Good for Green Cities" Model (Delaware Center for Horticulture, Wilmington, Del.)

Grant Amount
Forest Service Grant $60,500
Matching Institution Grant $60,625
Total $121,125

CATEGORY 3: Communicating the value of urban forestry to promote awareness, knowledge, skills, and behavior change within target audiences to positively impact urban and community forests.

The Forest in Our Backyard (Soundprint Media Center, Inc., Laurel, Md.)

Grant Amount
Forest Service Grant $162,760
Matching Institution Grant $173,689
Total $336,449

Online Urban Forestry Images (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn.)

Grant Amount
Forest Service Grant $7,047
Matching Institution Grant $7,173
Total $14,220

Talking Trees: Integrating Urban Forestry into Local Government's Sustainability and Emissions Reduction Initiatives (ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, Berkeley, Calif.)

Grant Amount
Forest Service Grant $15,060
Matching Institution Grant $15,060
Total $30,120

CATEGORY 4: Creative and innovative urban and community forestry research and technology development projects to improve our knowledge about the many components and interactions within the urban and community forest ecosystem.

Bare Rooting - Removing Soil and Substrate from Root Balls at Planting (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia Beach, Va.)

Grant Amount
Forest Service Grant: $10,215
Matching Institution Grant: $10,914
Total $21,129

Methodology for Using General Plans to Classify Trees as Capital Assets (Goleta Valley Beautiful, Goleta, Calif.)

Grant Amount
Forest Service Grant: $25,000
Matching Institution Grant: $25,000
Total $50,000

Creating Change with Science: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Urban Forestry Technology Transfer (University of Washington, Seattle, Wash.)

Grant Amount
Forest Service Grant: $116,900
Matching Institution Grant: $118,484
Total $235,384

The Urban Forest: A Contributor to Physical Activity Levels in the Built Environment? (Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa)

Grant Amount
Forest Service Grant: $48,102
Matching Institution Grant: $48,127
Total $96,229

Determining the Fate of PM 2.5 Particles Following Capture by Leaves (Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.)

Grant  Amount
Forest Service Grant: $42,189
Matching Institution Grant: $42,271
Total $84,460

An Analysis of Street Tree Planting Mortality and Survival in New York City (City Parks Foundation, Flushing, N.Y.)

Grant Amount
Forest Service Grant: $61,500
Matching Institution Grant: $61,640
Total $123,140

Planting Trees, Growing Human Capital (University of Illinois, Urbana, Ill.)

Grant Amount
Forest Service Grant: $163,617
Matching Institution Grant: $288,325
Total $451,942

Assessing Preferences for and Attitudes towards Urban Forests in Suburban Communities(Auburn University, Auburn, Ala.)

Grant Amount
Forest Service Grant: $126,067
Matching Institution Grant: $126,068
Total $252,135
 

 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/newsroom/releases/johanns-announces-more-860000-urban-and-community-forestry-grants