The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is seeking applications for its Urban Forest Equity Grant Program.
Donor Name: Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
State: Connecticut
City: Selected Cities
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/17/2024
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is dedicated to conserving, improving, and protecting natural resources and the environment, and increasing the availability of cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable energy. DEEP’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, achieves these goals by supporting healthy, resilient urban forests that provide multiple climate benefits. Urban forests mitigate climate change by storing and sequestering carbon from the atmosphere.
Through financial support provided by the USDA Forest Service through the Inflation Reduction Act DEEP’s Urban and Community Forestry Program is requesting proposals for the Urban Forest Equity Grant Program. Award amounts are based on the following funding tiers:
- Tier I: $5,000-$25,000
- Tier II: $25,001-$75,000
- Tier III: $75,001-$200,000
The Urban Forest Equity Grant Program aims to address canopy inequities in nature-deprived communities in Connecticut by providing financial support for urban forestry projects. Nature-deprived communities are disadvantaged communities that disproportionately lack access to natural areas such as parks and urban forests. These parks and urban forests provide numerous social, ecological, economic, and health benefits and are an important tool in combating climate change and its impacts.
The Urban Forest Equity Grant Program can support a variety of urban and community forestry projects including but not limited to:
- Tree planting on private lands with permission of landowner
- See this example of the “Trees for Free program” from Bloomfield, CT
- Engaging groups in urban forest planning and plantin
- See this example of a series of visioning and community meetings held in Bridgeport, CT
- Urban forest planning and assessment
- See this example of a forest management plan from Plainfield, CT
- Work force development
- See this example of the “GreenSkills Program” from New Haven, CT
- Invasive species management
- See this example of a project to map and remove invasives species from Stamford, CT
- Urban wood utilization
- See this example of the “Wood Material Management Program” in Hartford, CT
- Urban food forests
- See this example from Atlanta, GA
- Extreme heat mitigation
Eligibility and Other Requirements
- Eligible grant recipients include:
- State government entities
- Local government entities
- Federally Recognized Tribes/Tribal Organizations
- Non-profit organizations registered with the CT Secretary of State.
- Projects must take place in Connecticut.
- Eligible lands include:
- State and municipal lands
- Homeowner associations
- Private lands
- Tribal land
Ineligible Activities include:
- Research, this refers specifically to scientific research or projects that are purely research-based
- Construction, unless this is part of the site preparation for tree planting such as expanding or creating tree pits o Land Acquisition
- Payment directly to private landowners
- Equipment more than $5,000
Evaluation Criteria
- Environmental Justice Expert
- Community Engagement Expert
- Arborist and/or Forester
- Representative from an Environmental Non-profit – Municipal Land Manager or Tree Warden
- Community Member or Leader
- Previous DEEP Urban Forestry Grant Recipient – DEEP Urban Forestry Coordinator
For more information, visit DEEP.
