By Nicolle Spafford, DNR Urban Forestry Grant Manager
Nicolle.Spafford@wisconsin.gov or 715-896-7099
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced Urban Forestry Grant Program recipients for the 2026 grant year. The program helps fund projects consistent with state and national goals for increasing the urban forest canopy.
The Urban Forestry Grant Program is distributing almost $550,000 in grant funds. A dollar-for-dollar match puts the total estimated cost of these projects over $1.2 million. In total, 38 applications were selected to receive funding, with awards ranging from $2,128 to $25,000.
Two types of grants were available: regular and startup. Regular grants award up to $25,000 to support innovative projects to develop sustainable urban and community forestry programs. Startup grants are simplified grants that award up to $5,000 to communities that want to start or restart an urban forestry program.
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. Successful projects resulted in one or more of the following DNR Urban Forestry Program priorities:
- Increase tree canopy cover and diversify tree species in urban forest areas (diversify can include species, age and size classes)
- Improve urban forest health and resilience to emerging pests, diseases and abiotic factors (such as storms)
- Improve local capacity to manage and care for the urban and community forest
The list of selected grant recipients is available on the DNR Urban Forestry Grant homepage.