Who Can Apply?

Entities eligible to apply for funding under this NOFO include:

• State & local government entities
• 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 organizations
• Public and State-controlled institutions of higher education
• Community Based Organization
• Applicants that include contributing partners must clearly describe the relationship between the applicant and the “partner(s).” Partner organizations from disadvantaged communities must be full partners in the project.

What Lands are Eligible?

Eligible applicants may apply for funding for a project to be conducted on non-Federal lands such as:

• State and local government
• Homeowner association,
• Private lands
• Tribal/Alaska native corporation (includes Trust lands)
• Lands owned or administered by the federal government are not eligible for this funding opportunity except for lands held in trust for Native American Tribes and individuals

Eligible Activities & Uses of Funding

Examples of eligible activities include projects that:

• Foster individuals, groups, and organizations in the communities served to become engaged participants in urban forest planning, planting, and management, especially those in disadvantaged communities that do not have adequate resources to install or maintain green infrastructure 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 cover, extreme heat and frequent flooding. Improve and increase access to parks and nature in communities.
• Encourage long-term urban forest planning, assessment, and management.
• Encourage proactive and systematic maintenance and monitoring of urban trees and forested natural areas to improve forest health; assess risk to forests from 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, including monitoring and measurement of extreme heat.
• Improve preparation for severe storms and the recovery of damaged or deteriorated landscapes to more healthy and resilient conditions.
• Protect, enhance and increase access to watersheds in urban and developing areas with a focus on conserving and managing forest patches, and green storm-water infrastructure.
• Provide paid training experiences for urban forestry crews to establish and maintain urban forests into the future. Support youth employment opportunities, including workforce development and training for the creation and maintenance of green jobs and economic opportunities for planning, planting, and sustainably maintaining trees and forests, including training and retaining urban arborists, and producing and using urban forest products
• Develop paid on-the-job training opportunities, including pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships, to expand workforce development pathways for green careers in urban and community forestry.
• 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, educators, recreational and public health officials.

Examples of project activities that are NOT eligible for funding under Urban and Community Forestry Authorities include:

• Research: Basic research as defined in 2CFR 422.1, “Systematic study directed toward fuller knowledge or understanding of the fundamental aspects of phenomena and of observable facts without specific applications towards processes or products in mind.” Note: Technical transfer, education, and outreach activities associated with applying research can be included in the application.).
• Construction and capital improvements. Examples of construction include facilities, infrastructure, roads, new buildings, culverts, and boardwalks.
• Land acquisition (conservation easement and fee simple) projects.
• Cost-share, reimbursement, and other types of payment provided directly to private landowners. However, Urban and Community Forestry funding (and match) may be used to perform work on private lands; for example, an eligible entity could pay for trees to be planted on private lands with permission of the landowner.
• Small business start-up funding.
• Equipment purchases are rarely approved and will be reviewed prior to the grant award. Equipment rental should be considered as an alternative. Equipment is defined as an article of non-expendable, tangible personal property having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit.

Questions and Answers

(Q) Can we use IRA funds for state lands? For instance, Mt. Loreto serves an urban area?

(A) Yes. All existing congressional authorities provided to the Urban and Community Forestry Program through the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act are applicable to the Inflation Reduction Act. These authorities apply to non-Federal forest lands.

(Q) Are urban woodlands and natural areas in parks eligible for funding under this program? Or would this be strictly limited to street trees and more traditionally maintained park trees?

(A) Urban woodlands and natural areas within public parks could possibly be eligible but may require a 1:1 match if not associated with a disadvantaged community. The main focus is to assist disadvantaged communities as identified by the CEJST tool that have little or no canopy cover.

We would probably need more clarity once proposal was submitted.

(Q) Clarify requirements related to activities on private property?

(A) 1. For planting on private property, maximize the likelihood of tree establishment and long-term survival.
2. Ensure adequate access is granted by the landowner for all planned activities, including follow-up maintenance, monitoring, or other on-site work.
3. Release the federal government from any liability associated with work completed on private property.

Protecting Federal Investment in Private Property Tree Planting: The proposal should outline an appropriate strategy for tree retention and highlight how the project will ensure the trees grow and flourish beyond the grant period in the proposal. Examples may include written agreements/pledges by the resident, education workshops, municipal- or partner-provided maintenance, monitoring schemes/schedules, or recognition awards for tree survival at a particular year. Example language for a written agreement may include:

• I will plant and care for my tree according to the Tree Owner's Manual (or similar state-level best practices document) for as long as it is within my right to do so.
• I agree to plant my tree(s) immediately at the address listed above, to give my tree(s) on-going care while I own them (or for X years), and to adhere to guidelines related to inhibiting the movement and dispersal of invasive pests and disease, such as not moving any mulch received at the event outside of the distribution county. I understand the tree(s) are under no warranty or guarantee.
• In addition to providing appropriate care, I have no plans to further expand any buildings or pavement on my property in the next X years that would result in the removal/reduction of planting area for my newly planted tree(s).
• Ensure that those planting on private lands also have the capacity for monitoring or additional technical assistance related to tree health should the resident need it. Funding for this capacity during the grant period may be included in the budget. Consider adapting the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative's Tree Planting and Maintenance Plan Template for Newly Planted Trees to help grant recipients develop a maintenance plan prior to grant award and possibly as part of the proposal evaluation.