Expect to see more trees in your local communities. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources has opened its 2024 Community Forestry Assistance Grant cycle that will provide $5 million in federal and $2 million in state dollars to communities with urban forestry projects.
Applications opened October 2, 2023, and are due by January 8, 2024. Per the Evergreen Communities Act, at least fifty percent of all funding is dedicated to communities containing high environmental health disparities.
Eligible applicants include cities, towns, counties, Tribes, 501 (c) (3) non-profits, educational institutions and special taxing districts such as school districts, parks districts and conservation districts.
The Department of Natural Resources held three webinars to provide in-depth information about the grant application structure, tips on how to apply, and expectations for the 2024 grant cycle. Recordings of the webinars are available on DNR’s webpage.
Awards range from $10,000 to $350,000. Funds will support both single-year projects, as well as those that take multiple years to implement.
The City of Lynnwood, a past grant recipient, expanded urban tree canopy within the South Lynnwood neighborhood to enhance their urban forests. The grant program helped the City of Seattle protect approximately four acres of city-owned parcels in West Seattle by removing invasive species and planting conifers and understory plants with cultural significance to regional Tribes.
Recipients of the 2024 grant funding will also enroll in the Washington Tree Equity Collaborative, the first statewide equity partnership, bringing community organizers and stakeholders together to build a rigorous and inclusive urban forestry network throughout Washington. Click for more information about the Washington Tree Equity Collaborative and the grant application.