NEW JERSEY—On Feb. 27, The Nature Conservancy met with partners including the USDA Forest Service to discuss how $8 million in federal funds can be used to increase urban forestry opportunities in the greater Newark area.

This $8 million in funding for Newark, received by The Nature Conservancy in September 2023 but not yet implemented, is part of the $1.5 billion announced in April 2023 through the Inflation Reduction Act to support Urban and Community Forestry projects throughout the country.

With Newark’s low tree canopy cover of 7.6%, many communities lack access to the environmental and health benefits that trees provide. February’s roundtable, held by grant manager The Nature Conservancy at a Greater Newark Conservancy facility, helped define a collaborative strategy for implementing the funds to increase Newark’s tree canopy in communities where it is most needed.

The roundtable convened community partners as well as federal stakeholders including Meryl Harrell, USDA deputy under secretary; Sean Babington, USDA Office of the Secretary senior advisor; Robert Gentry, representative from the Forest Service’s Eastern Region State, Private, and Tribal Forestry Morgantown Field Office; and Kesha Braunskill, Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry specialist.

“We are very excited about this opportunity to work with this wonderful group of partners and to see the city of Newark continue expanding their community forest,” Gentry said. “The funding will not only help plant trees, it will help with workforce development and provide a variety of health benefits to the community.” 

Shade produced by tree plantings can mitigate the heat island effect by reducing temperature in the shade by up to 7 degrees in the heat of summer. Trees also reduce stress levels and encourage more outdoor physical activities that improve a range of health conditions such as depression, high blood pressure and obesity.

As grant manager, The Nature Conservancy will coordinate the grant activities and procure trees and other supplies for the partners. The city of Newark will complete a tree inventory, write an urban forestry management plan, plant and maintain trees, and deliver educational activities. The Newark Green Team will coordinate tree plantings through the Newark Green Team Resident Tree Portal and collaborate with community-based organizations. The Trust for Public Land will support community outreach activities in the Urban Forest Management plan development and throughout the project.

Other partners will develop the workforce training program component of the grant. The Newark Workforce Development Board, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers University will work with grant partners to design a robust paid workforce development training program to engage residents in urban forestry career pathways. The Ironbound Community Corporation, South Ward Environmental Alliance, Unified Vailsburg Services Organization and Greater Newark Conservancy will lead the workforce development program and tree planting and maintenance activities with residents in different sections of the city.

“The roundtable represented the federal partnership with community-based organizations, higher learning and municipal government,” Braunskill said. “The event was a convening of partners giving voice to the commitment that Newark citizens have to address low tree canopy, climate challenges and workforce development. The Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry program is excited to work with the city of Newark as they make a lasting impact with Inflation Reduction Act funding to communities that need it most.” 

The funding is a component of the White House Justice40 Initiative, with its government-wide goal to ensure at least “40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution,” according to the White House webpage. The interactive Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool identifies Newark as a disadvantaged community that is marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Areas of focus under the initiative include climate change, training and workforce development, and remediation and reduction of legacy pollution.