By Nicolle Spafford, DNR Urban Forestry Grants Manager Nicolle.Spafford@wisconsin.gov or 715-896-7099
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced the second round of Urban Forestry Grant Program recipients for the 2024 grant year. The program helps fund projects consistent with state and national goals for increasing the urban forest canopy.
The Urban Forestry Grant Program awarded $143,362 to seven Wisconsin communities for urban forestry projects.
Most of the funding ($139,920) was originally reserved for the Catastrophic Storm Grant Program but was not needed through the winter months. The rest of the funding ($3,442) came from carryover funding.
The following communities will receive the funds:
- City of Algoma: $21,342.50
- Village of Butler: $8,825.00
- City of Greenfield: $22,978.30
- City of Onalaska: $25,000.00
- City of River Falls: $24,530.00
- City of Sheboygan: $25,000.00
- City of Wauwatosa: $15,686.58
The urban forest encompasses trees on both public and private property. Urban tree canopies provide benefits such as local heat mitigation, removal of pollutants from the air, water and soil and improving mental health.
The first round of recipients was announced in December 2023. In total, the Urban Forestry Grant Program is distributing almost $805,000 in grant funds, with $554,680 in state funding and an additional $250,066 in federal funding. These grants must be matched dollar for dollar.
Priorities for the 2024 grant cycle included but were not limited to projects that:
- Increased the ability of local municipal partners to expand their urban forestry program
- Increased the ability of all local partners to provide ongoing urban forestry funding, services and/or markets
- Benefited multiple communities
- Put existing inventories of urban trees to use
Additional information about the program is available on the DNR Urban Forestry Grant webpage.