Historic level of grant funding now available for urban and community forest management
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Department of National Resources is now offering more than $25 million in grants for local units of government, tribal governments, and non-profit organizations to use for urban and community forest management.
The funding was an outcome of the 2023 Minnesota Legislative Session. Grant funding will be awarded to winning applicants over a series of competitive grant application periods.
The first application period opened July 31 with $16 million in available grant funding.
There are two categories of grant funding available for this application period: ReLeaf grants and Shade Tree Program Bonding grants.
ReLeaf Grants
What it does: ReLeaf Grants aim to address EAB and other forest health issues.
Eligible interventions for grant-use:
- Tree inventories
- Management plans
- Tree stump removal
- Tree replacement and planting
- Education and outreach
- Chemical treatment of ash
Available to:
- Tribal governments
- Local units of government (i.e., cities, counties, regional authorities, joint power boards, towns)
- Non-profits with 501(c) status
- Parks and recreation boards in cities of the first class
For the first time, community forestry activities conducted by staff or contractors on residential land that is owned by or serves low-income residents are also grant-eligible. Applications will be accepted for ReLeaf Grants through Monday, Sept. 18.
Shade Tree Program Bonding Grants
What it does: Expand the biodiversity and maximize environmental benefits of greenspace by planting shade trees.
Eligible interventions for grant-use:
- Removal and replanting of shade trees
- Replacement of trees lost to forest pests, disease, or storms
- Tree plantings to establish more diverse community forests that better withstand disease and pests
Available to:
- Tribal governments
- City governments
These activities must be on public or tribal land. Applications for Shade Tree Bonding Grants will be accepted through Monday, Oct. 2.
FAQ
- Applicants to either program can request a maximum of $500,000 per program and can apply to one or both program(s).
- No minimum request or match is required.
- Applications are evaluated on a range of scoring criteria, including:
- The strength of the proposal (e.g., purpose, budget, timeline, staffing)
- The extent to which the proposal meets the grant priorities of benefiting underserved populations and areas of concern for environmental justice, and focusing on EAB, especially the removal and replacement of ash trees presenting notable safety risks.
- The DNR wants to encourage smaller communities to apply, so areas with a population of 20,000 or less will receive a small scoring incentive.
The Minnesota DNR is hosting several in-person, one-hour informational sessions to learn more about these grant programs:
- Thursday, Aug. 3: 1 p.m., Two Harbors Public Library, Two Harbors 320 Waterfront Dr., Two Harbors, MN 55616
- Friday, Aug. 4: 10 a.m., Bremer Room, Great River Regional Library, St. Cloud 1300 W. St. Germain St., St. Cloud, MN 56301
- Tuesday, Aug. 8: 10 a.m., Room 104, City Hall, Rochester 201 4th St. SE, Rochester, MN 55904
- Thursday, Aug. 10: 10 a.m., DNR Office, Windom 175 Co. Rd. 26, Windom, MN 56101
- Tuesday, Aug. 15: 10 a.m., Bluepeak Room, Red Baron Arena, Marshall 1651 Victory Dr., Marshall MN 56258
- Wednesday, Aug. 16: 10 a.m., DNR Central Office, St. Paul 500 Lafayette Rd., St. Paul, MN 55155
The Minnesota Shade Tree Advisory Committee also hosted an informational webinar about the grant programs. That was recorded and made available on the DNR community forestry webpage.
Interested applicants can reach out to ucf.dnr@state.mn.us with any questions regarding these grant programs. The DNR also encourages them to contact the DNR forester in their region for further assistance.
