New York is making $10 million available for municipalities, nonprofits and tribal organizations to map, assess and better manage urban forests and tree canopies across the state, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday.
The funding will be distributed through the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program, which supports projects focused on tree health, environmental quality and climate resilience.
State officials said this year’s funding round introduces new technology-driven opportunities, including the use of terrestrial LiDAR systems that create highly detailed 3D digital assessments of trees and urban forest areas.
Eligible projects include traditional street tree inventories, landscaped park assessments, forested natural area inventories and management plans developed from collected data.
The state said the goal is to help communities make more informed decisions about tree planting, forest management and long-term climate adaptation efforts.
“We recognize how essential urban and community forests are to the health and well-being of our neighborhoods,” Hochul said in a statement.
The grants can range from $50,000 to $2.5 million, and there is no local match requirement.
Projects must take place on public property, private land open to the public, or tribal lands.
The announcement is part of a broader statewide forestry initiative that officials say has directed more than $116.5 million toward tree and forest-related projects since 2021.
According to the governor’s office, those investments have included urban forestry grants, forest health programs, reforestation initiatives and support for tree nurseries and forest-product industries.
The latest grant round also ties into Hochul’s statewide goal of planting 25 million trees by 2033.
Applications for the program are due Aug. 12. The DEC will host a webinar June 2 to provide guidance for prospective applicants.
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