The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced that five communities impacted by severe weather last July will receive an additional $123,600 of aid from reserve funds.

On July 28, 2021, Marathon County and the cities of Omro, Ripon, Tomahawk and Watertown each experienced catastrophic storm damage following severe weather conditions.

Initially, the five grant applicants sought $228,435 from the DNR’s Urban Forestry Catastrophic Storm Grant program to lessen the burden of the impacted communities. However, the grant funds were limited to $104,920.

To assist with funding, the DNR submitted a request in November to the Joint Committee on Finance to transfer additional funds from the forestry emergency reserve. 

Continue reading “DNR Announces Additional Funding Now Available For Communities Impacted By Storm Damage” →

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR)’s Urban Forestry program has selected the recipients for the 2022 grant year. The annual fund allotment of $524,600 was available. Twenty percent of this amount ($104,920) was used to fund our catastrophic storm grant program, and the remaining amount ($419,680) was allotted toward regular and startup grants. An amount of $100,000 in federal funding was available to provide additional grant opportunities.

A grand total of 47 projects were selected for 2022, including five catastrophic storm grants, 27 regular grants and 15 startup grants. Awards range from $1,750 to $25,000.

As with previous years, the DNR’s Urban Forestry Grant program funds projects consistent with state and national goals for increasing the urban forest canopy and the benefits it provides. The urban forest encompasses trees on both public and private property.

Continue reading “DNR Announces Recipients Of Urban Forestry Grants” →

Proposals for the 2022 Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program are now being accepted through Jan. 25, 2022 by 11:59 p.m. eastern time.

The Five Star and Urban Waters Grant Program will award approximately $2.6 million in grants nationwide. An additional $1,000,000 in grants is available from a private funder to support urban green infrastructure that focuses on urban forests and tree planting, especially in underserved communities.

The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration grant program seeks to develop community capacity to sustain local natural resources for future generations by providing financial assistance to diverse local partnerships focused on improving water quality, watersheds and the species and habitats they support. 

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Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is now accepting proposals for SFI Community Grants. Grants are awarded in the range of $5,000 to $10,000 dollars per project. Applications will be accepted through Feb. 1, 2022. The Lead Organization on the project must be one of the following: SFI Implementation Committee (SIC), non-profit, college/university or indigenous community/organization. Local governments would need to partner with a SFI Implementation Committee member in order to apply. 

SFI Community Grants will support projects that address one or more of the following priorities:

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By Nicolle Spafford, DNR Program Specialist, Nicolle.Spafford@wisconsin.gov or 715-896-7099

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced the recipients of the Urban Forestry Catastrophic Storm Grants to assist with damage sustained during the July 28, 2021 extreme storm events throughout the state.

The following five communities will divide $104,920.00 in fiscal year 2022 state grant dollars: Marathon County, City of Omro, City of Ripon, City of Tomahawk and the City of Watertown.

Catastrophic storm grants typically range from $4,000 to $50,000. Due to the high number of applications this year, applicants could receive a maximum of $22,965. Each applicant received at least partial funding. The grants do not require a dollar-for-dollar match.

The DNR’s Urban Forestry Catastrophic Storm Grant program funds tree repair, removal or replacement within urban areas following a catastrophic storm event for which the governor has declared a State of Emergency under s. 323.10, Wis. Stats.

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Photo credit: USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Bugwood.org

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is accepting applications for Urban Wildlife Damage Abatement and Control (UWDAC) grants. UWDAC grants are available to any town, city, village, county or tribal government located within an urban area. For a complete list of eligible urban areas, click here.

Applications must be received on or before Dec. 1, 2021.

UWDAC grants help urban areas develop wildlife plans, implement specific damage abatement and/or control measures for white-tailed deer and/or Canada geese. Eligible projects include:

• Developing an urban wildlife population control plan
• Monitoring wildlife populations and establishing population estimates
• Removing deer using sharpshooters as part of a DNR-approved project

Continue reading “Urban Wildlife Damage Abatement And Control Grants” →

A new national initiative will provide $7 million in funding for community-based organizations to work on park equity and racial justice.

People, Parks and Power (P3) focuses on supporting community-based organizations to build power to take on the policies, institutional practices and power dynamics that produced park inequities in the first place. P3 seeks to fund local-level, community-driven initiatives to work on issues such as public finance measures for parks and green infrastructure, assessments of park needs and inequities, joint use policies to open school grounds for recreational use, land use policies that facilitate equitable access to parks and green space, community engagement units within government agencies and anti-displacement protections, among others.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation will award grants of up to $500,000 over a 24-month grant period. Awards will be made to up to 14 sites, and the Foundation reserves the right to make more awards should additional funding be made available.

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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has opened an additional application period for Knowles-Nelson Stewardship grants to eligible nonprofit conservation organizations (NCOs). These grants help fund the acquisition of land.

Applications are due Friday, Nov. 19, 2021 for the following subprograms:

• Natural area grants 
• Habitat area grants
• Stream bank protection grants
• State trail grants

The DNR will consider all complete applications received or post marked by Nov. 19. Any organization considering a fall application should contact the regional project manager before applying. Acquisitions that will require multiple appraisals or a more comprehensive review may be deferred until the 2023 funding cycle, which opens in early spring 2022. 

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Cities, villages, towns, counties, tribes and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in or conducting their project in Wisconsin are encouraged to apply for a regular or startup 2022 Department of Natural Resources Urban Forestry Grant! The grants range from $1,000 to $25,000, and grant recipients must match each grant dollar for dollar. A startup grant of up to $5,000 is available for communities that want to start or restart a community forestry program. Grants are awarded to projects that align with state and national goals for increasing the urban forest canopy and the benefits it provides.

Continue reading “A Reminder that the Application Deadline is Coming Up for 2022 Urban Forestry Grants!” →