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Urban & Community Forestry Program taking applications for 2018 grants

Delaware Forest Service
This tree planting project at the Jefferson School in Georgetown was funded by the Delaware Urban and Community Forestry Program. The 2018 grant program is now accepting applications.

The Delaware Urban and Community Forestry Program is making money available to encourage community tree projects.

Municipalities, homeowner associations and non-profits can apply to the program for grants of up to $5,000 for a project.

 

“This is a program that we offer annually and it’s a competitive grant program that helps municipalities, 501C3’s  and communities with tree-planting projects or tree-management projects throughout the State,”

said Kesha Braunskill, the Delaware Urban Forestry coordinator. "We have two categories:  it’s tree planting or tree management. The tree planting category would be any trees that would be planted in open space or parks. The tree management category helps folks with the assistance of removal of hazardous trees...trees that are deemed hazardous.”

 

One goal of the program is increasing urban tree canopies statewide.  It also hopes to promote proper stormwater management to improve air and water quality.

 

In 2017, the Delaware Forest Service awarded more than $94,000 in grants for 34 community projects.

 

And since 1991 the program has distributed more than $1.8 million to over 200 organizations for tree planting and tree management up and down the state.

 

The grant application deadline is March 2nd.   And applicants must be able to deliver a  50-50 match - though that can be done with volunteer labor, donated materials and services, or funding sources.  

 

The grants are funded by the U.S Forestry Service and the state.

 

You can get information about the grants and apply at http://delawaretrees.com.

 

Kelli Steele has over 30 years of experience covering news in Delaware, Baltimore, Winchester, Virginia, Phoenix, Arizona and San Diego, California.