USDA Forest Service Awards More Than $1.1 Million In Urban And Community Forestry Grants

Press Office

Washington, June 15, 2004 -

Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today announced $1,155,756 in federal grants to 14 organizations for our nation's urban and community forests. The organizations will match those funds with an additional $1,666,135 for research and education projects for urban forests.

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

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). The council reviews the proposals and makes recommendations to the Forest Service, which awards the grants.

The grants fund projects in four categories:

urban and community forestry for and with minority and underserved populations;
promoting livable communities;
communication programs; and
research and technology development.

Recipients are: Earthcorps, Seattle, Wash; Tree Research & Endowment Fund, Champaign, Ill.; National Network of Forest Practitioners, Providence, R.I.; Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, Va.; Local Government Commission, Sacramento, Calif.; University of Delaware, Newark, Del.; Community-Based Communications, L.L.C., Cheverly, Md.; Tree Musketeers, El Segundo, Calif.; American Forests, Washington, D.C.; Texas Cooperative Extension, College Station, Texas; Morton Arboretum and the National Working Group on Root Depth in Planting, Lisle, Ill.; Rainbow TreeCare Scientific Advancements, St. Louis Park, Minn.; and ArborMaster Training, Inc., Willington, Conn. Additional information on each recipient is below.

Previous grants resulted in developing community forest plans, 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, the Forest Service has supported 137 competitive cost-share proposals that promote urban and community forestry nationwide. Proposals are submitted in a variety of categories and announced by NUCFAC in the fall of each year.

Established under the 1990 Farm Bill, 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. Council 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 the Council serve without compensation and dedicate approximately 100 hours each year.

Note: a list of the grant recipients is below

2004 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.

Trees and Positive Youth Development: Research on Effect of Urban Forestry Work Experiences on Inner-City, Underserved Adolescents (Earthcorps, Seattle, Wash.)

Forest Service Grant: $97,000
Matching Institution Grant: $100,000
Total $197,000

CD ROM/Video Supporting the Benefits of Urban & Community Forestry and the Career Opportunities Within (Tree Research & Education Endowment Fund, Champaign, Ill.)

Forest Service Grant: $32,000
Matching Institution Grant: $36,750
Total $68,750

Strengthening and Diversifying the Community Forestry Movement: An Innovative Technical Assistance and Capacity-Building Model for Minority and Underserved Communities (National Network of Forest Practitioners, Providence, R.I.)

Forest Service Grant $80,000
Matching Institution Grant $118,500
Total $198,500

CATEGORY 2: Urban and Community Forestry Projects that Promote Livable Communities to advance the emerging field of green infrastructure and sustainable development principles and methods as related to healthy urban and community forestry.

Development of a Green Infrastructure Technology that Links Trees and Engineered Soil to Minimize Runoff from Pavement (Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, Va.)

Forest Service Grant $302,750
Matching Institution Grant $346,163
Total $648,913

Livable Communities and Urban Forestry: You Can't Have One Without the Other (Local Government Commission, Sacramento, Calif.)

Forest Service Grant $13,000
Matching Institution Grant $13,000
Total $26,000

Plants for a Livable Delaware (University of Delaware, Newark, Del.)

Forest Service Grant $86,595
Matching Institution Grant $86,595
Total $173,190

CATEGORY 3: Communicating the Value of Urban Forestry to increase communication concerning the benefits of the urban and community forest.

The Return of American Elms to the America's Main Street: A Teachable Moment for Urban Forestry Consciousness and for our Inner Cities (Community-Based Communications, L.L.C., Cheverly, Md.)

Forest Service Grant $86,000
Matching Institution Grant $94,500
Total $180,500

Count on Kids (Tree Musketeers, El Segundo, Calif.)

Forest Service Grant $38,557
Matching Institution Grant $38,557
Total $77,114

Big Trees = Big Values (American Forests, Washington, D.C.)

Forest Service Grant $79,200
Matching Institution Grant $288,240
Total $367,440

CTMI: Community Tree Management Institute (Texas Cooperative Extension, College Station, Texas)

Forest Service Grant $60,984
Matching Institution Grant $63,033
Total $124,017

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.

The Effects of Pruning on Wind Loading and Stability of Shade Trees (Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University, Blacksburg, Va.)

Forest Service Grant: $109,933
Matching Institution Grant: $110,480
Total $220,413

Stopping Tree Losses from Buried Root Systems: A National Research and Technology Transfer Coalition (Morton Arboretum and the National Working Group on Root Depth in Planting, Lisle, Ill. )

Forest Service Grant: $109,937
Matching Institution Grant: $292,317
Total $402,254

To Investigate the Potential of Essential Oils Extracted from the Heartwood of Northern Australian Cypress as a Bio-rational Strategy for Control of Pine Engraver Beetle (Rainbow TreeCare Scientific Advancements, St. Louis Park, Minn.)

Forest Service Grant: $34,200
Matching Institution Grant $35,000
Total $69,200

Saving Tree Workers' Lives: The Neglected Component of Urban Forest Management (ArborMaster Training, Inc., Willington, Conn.)

Forest Service Grant: $25,600
Matching Institution Grant: $39,000
Total $64,600