MADISON, Wisconsin. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced the recipients of the Urban Forestry Grant Program for the 2023 grant year. The program helps fund projects consistent with state and national goals for increase the canopy of urban forests.
The Urban Forestry Grant Program had nearly $700,000 in grant funding, with $419,860 in state funding and an additional $273,512 in federal funding. A dollar-for-dollar matching puts the estimated total cost of these projects at $1.5 million. In total, 58 applications were selected for funding, with awards ranging from $2,106 to $25,000.
Eight additional applicants may also receive funding in a second round in spring 2023 if funds set aside for the Catastrophic Storm Grant Program are not needed during the winter months.
There were two types of grants available for this application cycle, regular and startup. Regular grants award up to $25,000 to support new and innovative projects that will develop sustainable urban and community forestry programs. Starter Grants are streamlined grants available to communities wanting to start or restart an urban forestry program and are competitive cost shares of up to $5,000.
Urban tree canopies provide benefits such as local heat mitigation, removal of air, water, and soil pollutants, and improved mental health. The urban forest encompasses trees on both public and private property. Priorities for the 2023 grant cycle include, but are not limited to, projects that:
- Increase the capacity of local municipal partners to scale up their urban forestry program
- Increase the capacity of all local partners to provide continuous urban forestry finance, services and markets
- Benefit multiple communities
- Use existing urban tree inventories
The list of selected grant recipients is available on the DNR Urban Forestry Grant home page.