Florida Urban and Community Forestry Grants

As part of the U.S. Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Matching Grant Program, funds will be available to organizations to develop or enhance their urban and community forestry programs.

Awards are made as 50-50 matching grants (50% federal, 50% applicant) to local governments, educational institutions, Native-American tribal governments, and legally organized nonprofit (volunteer) organizations in the grant categories listed below.

2021 Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program – Currently Accepting Applications

The 2021 Urban and Community Forestry grants are now available for project proposals. This program is part of Florida’s ongoing initiative to increase and protect existing tree canopies in developed areas.

Applications will be accepted from August 2–October 8, 2021. Interested applicants can find more information by viewing the request for applications.

After the application period has closed, applicants will be notified of the results by an email and an official letter.

Florida’s urban forest provides millions of dollars annually in social, economic, psychological and environmental benefits to communities and enhances the quality of life for Florida residents. The Florida Forest Service uses a portion of the Urban and Community Forestry technical services funds provided by the U.S. Forest Service to help local communities, nonprofit groups and educational institutions initiate or improve local urban forestry programs.

Award Categories

Public Tree Canopy Improvement (Tree Planting)

This category is provided for the purchase and installation of community trees on public rights-of-way and in parks or other public spaces.

Public Tree Inventory or Urban Tree Canopy Assessment

This category is provided for communities to develop or enhance inventories/assessments of public trees. Up-to-date inventories can assist communities in better managing their tree populations and provide data critical for more efficient and effective storm response.

Urban Forest Management Planning

A community forest management plan serves as the guiding document for managing the tree resources in a community. A quality urban forest management plan identifies the current condition of the community’s forest, describes the desired future state of the forest and establishes strategies on how to achieve those goals.

Urban Forestry Information and Education

This category is provided to make the public more aware of arboriculture and urban forestry management practices. This category could include projects such as: hosting workshops, printing brochures or developing interpretive signage.

2021 Managing Community Forests Grant Program: Applications Available Fall 2021

The Managing Community Forests Grant Program is an initiative that started in 2019. The purpose of this new program is to provide financial assistance to local governments or Native American tribal governments to initiate or enhance local urban and community forestry programs over a three-year period within the state of Florida. In an effort to further differentiate this program, applications for the 2021 award year will be released in the fall.

The Managing Community Forests grant is intended to help local governments start or develop urban forestry programs by establishing a clear path to an effective urban forest management strategy. As funding allows, selected communities will receive a total of three contracts over a three-year period to conduct a tree inventory, establish an urban forest master plan, and undertake a planting project to meet goals identified in the master plan.

Eligible entities include local governments, state governments and Native American tribal governments. To participate, the community must be incorporated and have a population between 10,000 and 100,000.

Year One (2021): Tree Inventory

The contract for the first year will be to develop a local tree inventory or a hazardous tree inventory on non-federal public properties (includes parks, rights-of-way and preserves). This can include the purchase of hardware, software and related equipment, as well as fees paid to vendors to conduct the inventory.  

Year Two (2022): Urban Forestry Management Plan

The second-year contract will fund the development of a plan to guide the management of urban trees on non-federal public properties. Management planning must include a tree care ordinance review or suggested language for a new ordinance. Plans must also use the information from the Year One Tree Inventory and include: priority planting areas, canopy goals, and a metric for measuring progress. 

Year Three (2023): Tree Planting Project

The third and final contract of this program will be for a planting project related to a goal set forth in the management plan. Local groups such as the Tree Board, Master Gardeners, 4-H or FFA classes should be engaged in the project.