Urban Forests

State allocations

The Forest Service is allocating $250 million to state and territory forestry agencies that are working in disadvantaged communities to increase and maintain a healthy urban canopy and access to nature.

State Allocations

Baltimore Wood Project

We’re rethinking the value of what many consider to be urban wood “waste” and the role that urban wood can play in achieving a city's economic, social, and environmental sustainability goals.

Learn more

National Ten-Year Urban Forestry Action Plan

The National Ten-Year Urban Forestry Action Plan expands awareness of the benefits of our urban forests to communities and increases investments in urban forest resources.

Learn more

Urban & Community Forestry Inflation Reduction Act Grants

The Forest Service making up to $1 billion available in Urban and Community Forestry competitive grants for investments that:

increase equitable access to urban tree canopy and associated human health, environmental and economic benefits in disadvantaged communities
broaden community engagement in local urban forest planning
improve community and urban forest resilience to climate change, pests and storm events through best management and maintenance practices

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

The Forest Service is requesting proposals from eligible entities that are working to provide equitable access to trees and green spaces and the benefits they provide. The funding opportunity is open to proposals spanning a broad range of investments working at a community, regional, and national scale.

Minimum funding amount for projects is $100,000
Maximum federal funding limit is $50,000,000. All funding agreements will be for a period of 5 years.

All federal grant funds are to be matched at least equally (dollar for dollar) with non-federal match. Match-waivers are available for proposals that deliver 100% of the funding/program benefits to disadvantaged communities.

Learn more about the upcoming funding opportunity and how to apply by watching a webinar recorded on March 29, 2023 (43 min.).

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) - Summary Text (PDF)

How to Apply

Register on SAM.gov

Organizations wanting to apply for these grant opportunities must have an active registration and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) from SAM.gov.

Creating a first-time registration on SAM.gov may take several weeks or more to complete. Therefore, ensure you apply for your SAM registration early.

Apply at grants.gov

Search for 2023 Inflation Reduction Act for Urban and Community Forestry grant opportunities on Grants.gov using the opportunity number: USDA-FS-2023-UCF-IRA-01

Applicants will be assessed in the following areas:

Alignment with Justice40 and the Inflation Reduction Act legislation, State Forest Action Plans, and Final Ten-Year Urban Forestry Action Plan priorities
Technical merit
Capability and capacity to carry out the proposed work within the grant period
Measurable results or outcomes
Budget and cost-effectiveness

Before you apply, review the eligibility requirements in the following section.

All application materials must be received on the grant application website by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time June 1 2023. Visit grants.gov for more details.

Review eligibility requirements

Eligibility	Requirements
Eligible Entities	State government entity Local government entity Agency or governmental entity of the District of Columbia Agency or governmental entity of an insular area (as defined in section 1404 of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103) Federally Recognized Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations/villages, and Tribal organizations as defined in 25 USC 5304 (l) and operating within the United States, or its territories. Non-profit organization. Public and State-controlled institutions of higher education. Applicants that include contributing partners must clearly describe the relationship between the applicant and the “partner(s).” A letter of commitment is required to be submitted by each contributing partner.
Eligible Lands	State and local government Homeowner associations Private lands Tribal/Alaska native corporation (includes Trust lands)
Eligible Activities	Foster individuals, groups, and organizations in the communities served to become engaged participants in urban forest planning and management, especially those in disadvantaged communities that do not have adequate resources or are underrepresented. Protect, enhance, and expand equitable urban tree canopy cover to maximize community access to human health, social, ecological, and economic benefits particularly in disadvantaged and nature-deprived communities experiencing low tree canopy, extreme heat, frequent flooding, and poor access to parks and nature. Encourage long-term urban forest planning, assessment, and management. Encourage proactive and systematic maintenance and monitoring of urban trees to improve forest health; assess risk to forest pests, disease, and adverse climate impacts; and formulate adaptive management strategies to improve forest resilience. Advance the use of tree and forest inventories, monitoring, and assessment tools in priority areas. Improve preparation for severe storms and the recovery of damaged or deteriorated landscapes to more healthy and resilient conditions. Protect and enhance watersheds in urban and developing areas with a focus on conserving and managing forest patches, and green stormwater infrastructure. Support the creation and maintenance of green jobs and economic opportunities for planning and sustainably maintaining trees and forests, and producing and using urban forest products. Address exotic invasive pest species that adversely impact urban forests. Work across jurisdictional boundaries, leveraging ideas and resources to increase capacity to provide equitable access to benefits across the larger landscape and at a greater geographic scale. Aid in planning, goal setting, and skill sharing with other professions such as urban planners, engineers, and public health officials.

Webinars

Please register early to receive details about each meeting in your email, including the link on how to join. These webinars will be recorded and the links posted to this website and the IRA-UCF grant application website.

April 18 (Recorded) - Urban and Community Forestry Inflation Reduction Act Webinar Series: Inflation Reduction Act funding for the Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Program, Funding Opportunity and Eligibility, Application Portal and Tools.
April 25 (Recorded) - Urban and Community Forestry Inflation Reduction Act Webinar Series Part 2: Inflation Reduction Act funding for the Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Budget Resources Information and Online Application Portal Instructions.

Get Help

For questions related to information contained within the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc., email: SM.FS.UCF_IRA@usda.gov

NOTE: Questions related to eligibility, or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed.

For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. Forest Service staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts.

What are urban forests?

Over 141 million acres of America’s forests are located right in our cities and towns. Urban forests come in many different shapes and sizes. They include urban parks, street trees, landscaped boulevards, gardens, river and coastal promenades, greenways, river corridors, wetlands, nature preserves, shelter belts of trees, and working trees at former industrial sites. Urban forests, through planned connections of green spaces, form the green infrastructure on which communities depend. Green infrastructure works at multiple scales from the neighborhood to the metro area to the regional landscape.

Why are urban forests important?

The 2010 census reported that nearly 81% of Americans now live in urban centers, up from 79% just 10 years earlier. Over this same time frame, urban populations grew by more than 12.1%, outpacing the national growth average of just 9.7%. It is clear that we are becoming a more urbanized nation. Because of these growth patterns, urban forests are more important than ever- they are the trees outside our front doors. They are dynamic ecosystems that provide critical benefits to people and wildlife. Urban forests help to filter air and water, control storm water, conserve energy, and provide animal habitat and shade. They add beauty, form, and structure to urban design. By reducing noise and providing places to recreate, urban forests strengthen social cohesion, spur community revitalization, and add economic value to our communities.