Photo Credit: Zach McCue
THE WORD “unprecedented” has cropped up in relation to forests all too often in recent years, usually in negative contexts such as heat or wildfires. But with the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the nation now has some unprecedented hope related to forest health, as the largest congressional investment in climate ever included $1.5 billion for the USDA Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program.
American Forests has been building the Tree Equity movement for years, not only by coining the term and advancing the national conversation, but also through relationship-building, convening stakeholders and providing technical assistance to local leaders who are building Tree Equity in their cities from the ground up.
In April 2023, USDA announced $250 million in urban and community forestry grants to states and territories, and opened applications for $1 billion more in funding for other entities like nonprofits. The rush of applicants crashed the submission portal, and the Forest Service worked tirelessly to review project proposals. In September, American Forests was awarded a grant of $50 million — the largest possible award under the program — for the Tree Equity Catalyst Initiative and Fund.
The Tree Equity Catalyst Initiative and Fund will issue grants to early-stage, innovative urban and community forestry projects and to entities with developed Tree Equity initiatives. American Forests is thrilled not only to receive funding to transform America’s communities but also to work alongside other grant recipients to transform America’s tree canopy and advance climate equity and Tree Equity.
That alone is reason to celebrate — but there’s more! Cities leading in Tree Equity, such as Phoenix, Detroit, Seattle and Providence, R.I., also received urban and community forestry funding. With more than $1 billion awarded by the Forest Service, the Biden-Harris administration is investing in locally led Tree Equity projects to expand and support the health of America’s tree canopy, cool communities and save lives.
American Forests is proud to have partnered with these cities as they embraced formal Tree Equity programs years before the federal opportunity emerged. The success and momentum of early Tree Equity cities helped demonstrate to the government why this scale of funding was needed across the nation.
Photo Credit: Jonathan Elias / Paideia Academies
Photo Credit: Rachel Terlep / Washington Department of Natural Resources
Although American Forests is assisting the Biden-Harris administration with implementation of this funding, further advocacy work is needed. The massive influx of funding the Urban and Community Forestry Program received is so far a one-time investment into a program that annually receives about $36 million a year — far from enough to maintain the critical work currently being implemented through these projects and support the ongoing work of state and territorial urban and community forestry offices.
In the meantime, the administration continues to pioneer a whole-of-government approach to urban and community forestry, with non-agriculture agencies embracing Tree Equity programs. In November, the Environmental Protection Agency announced an open application period for $2 billion in environmental and climate justice projects in communities and neighborhoods, which will undoubtedly help to expand tree canopy in urban settings with an equity-centric lens.
American Forests will continue to enhance partnerships with cities across the nation by helping them leverage these opportunities as they come. These locally led initiatives offer unprecedented and lasting support for America’s urban and community forests, centering those who call these neighborhoods home.