Funding for community tree projects in the First State is available again.
The Delaware Urban and Community Forestry Program is offering support to encourage projects that help increase Delaware’s tree canopy.
“The Delaware Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program offers this grant annually for communities, municipalities and nonprofits," said Kesha Braunskill - Delaware's urban forestry coordinator. "And it’s for tree planting projects, as well as tree maintenance projects throughout the state that take place on public lands."
Braunskill says planting trees is good for the environment - and the Delaware Urban and Community Forestry Program hopes to get more trees planted statewide through this series of grants.
“This is really important because we want to educate the public and provide the financial and technical assistance to the public to plant more trees and to maintain the trees that they have," said Braunskill. "Since trees offer so many benefits, we want to be a resource to the public so that we can increase tree canopy through our State.”
Since it began in the 1990’s, the grant program has delivered $1.79 million to 577 community-based projects - helping plant 14,000 trees.
In 2020, the program awarded more than $65,000 to 17 projects throughout the First State.
The grant application deadline is March 5th. Applicants must be able to deliver a 50-50 match - but volunteer labor and donated materials count toward the match - along with other funding.
