The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Division of Lands and Forests is pleased to announce funding for projects that will implement Community Forest Management Plans and manage ash trees in disadvantaged communities.
Donor Name: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
State: New York
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant | Reimbursement
Deadline: 01/31/2024
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
Funding Information
- Approximately $10,000,000 in total is available for Community Forest Management Plan implementation in disadvantaged communities. Approximately $2,900,000 is available for ash tree management in disadvantaged communities. Should newly-appropriated funding become available, DEC may award additional applications received in this round.
- Funding for this grant opportunity is made available through the state allocation from the USDA Forest Service through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The USDA Forest Service is allocating this funding to support projects in disadvantaged communities to increase and maintain a healthy urban canopy and equitable access to trees and the benefits they provide. The Urban and Community Forestry Program authorizes funding for a broad range of activities, such as urban wood utilization, urban food forests, extreme heat mitigation, and workforce development.
- Eligible applicants may request a minimum of $10,000 and up to a maximum of $500,000.
- This is a reimbursement grant program. Awardees must submit reimbursement requests after the work is complete and contractors have been paid. Multiple reimbursement requests may be submitted throughout the contract period.
Project Period
Enter a 3-year timeframe for the entire project.
Eligible Project Locations
Projects must be:
- Implemented in New York State and on non-state-owned and non-federal-owned properties (municipal public property, i.e. street and park trees), privately owned parkland that is open to the public (e.g. cemeteries) or alongside a state-owned roadway in a city, town, or village in a location where they provide a public benefit. Projects may be implemented further from a public roadway if within 10 feet of either side of a paved or maintained multiple use trail; AND.
- Located completely in a disadvantaged community. For the purposes of this application, a Disadvantaged Community is identified by any one of the following tools:
- Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST).
- New York State Disadvantaged Communities. This and the following NYS maps may be accessed in the DECinfo Locator. Then choose Potential Environmental Justice Areas and Disadvantaged Communities (DAC).
- New York State Environmental Justice Areas.
Eligibility Criteria
For the purposes of this grant program, the following entities are considered eligible applicants:
- New York State government entities, municipalities, and quasi-governmental entities including, but not limited to, counties, cities, towns, villages, or public benefit corporations, public authorities, municipal corporations, soil and water conservation districts, and community colleges.
- Indian nations or tribes recognized by the State or the United States with a reservation wholly or partly within the boundaries of New York State, or any combination thereof.
- 501(c)(3) not-for-profit (NFP) corporations whose projects are located within the eligible geographic boundaries defined in this Request for Applications (RFA). NFP applicants must possess the knowledge, skills, and/or track record to successfully implement the project.
For more information, visit DEC.


