Department of Environmental Protection

New Jersey Forest Service

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New Jersey Urban and Community Forestry Grants

The New Jersey Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program provides financial assistance in the form of grants to counties and municipalities statewide to assist in implementing their local management plans for trees and forests. The grants are used for work on a variety of projects, including but not limited to, community tree and forest inventories, risk tree assessments, tree planting, and reforestation.

Through a Leafing Out Grant, your municipality can improve its resilience to climate change, combat urban heat island effects, increase resiliency to pests and storm events, and more. These 4-year grants are all about giving you the tools you need to work with us to start, plan, and advance a strong, self-sustainable forestry program for your municipality that will enhance the quality of life for your citizens and all New Jerseyans. Grant applications are due by April 5, 2024 at 5 p.m.

There are two separate RFP’s for these grants. One competitive grant focuses on the management of your urban forest and the other grant focuses on education and training. Activities to be funded through this grant include tree inventories, community forest management plans (CFMPs), implementation of priority tree maintenance, hazard tree removal and more. The actual mix of activities funded will be specific to the needs of your community.

Leafing Out Grant - Management
Request for Proposals
Application

Leafing Out Grant - Education
Request for Proposals
Application

Additional Information
List of eligible municipalities
Frequently Asked Questions Document
Leafing Out Grants Webinar and Q&A Session

These grants are made possible by USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry funding through the Inflation Reduction Act.

A management plan for trees and forests is an essential guide to successfully achieving a healthy, safe, and sustainable urban forest. It can lead to increased community safety, lower tree risk, decreased tree maintenance and removal costs, less emergency tree calls, increased environmental and socioeconomic benefits, reduced municipal costs and increase[d] funding for forestry. Proper planning helps municipalities and counties develop a proactive vs. reactive approach to tree and forest management. Proactive management encourages communities to collect and use data to prioritize limited financial resources by optimizing actions to meet defined goals and objectives.

Communities that need assistance in creating their first management plan for trees and forests are currently eligible for the Green Communities grant’($3,000 +100% match to hire a professional to develop your local stewardship plan for trees and forests).

Green Communities Grant Application

Pursuant to the New Jersey Shade Tree and Community Forestry Assistance Act, N.J.S.A.13:1L-17.4(c), one purpose of the New Jersey Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry program (NJUCF) is to provide financial assistance to local governments and shade tree commissions to assist in the implementation of an approved management plan for trees and forests to the extent funds are available.

The NJUCF Stewardship Grant was established to provide this financial assistance. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis to encourage projects that strongly link the use of best management practices to achieve urban and community forestry management goals defined in the local management plan for trees and forests.

Reforestation, Tree Planting, and Maintenance Plan Requirements
These requirements are to be followed for the development and implementation of a tree planting and maintenance plan in conjunction with a NJ Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program (NJUCF) Stewardship Grant proposal and award.

For questions about NJUCF Grants including Green Communities Grants, NJUCF Stewardship Grants, applications, and projects, brian.mcdonald@dep.nj.gov

For questions about NJUCF Grants including grant agreements and financial reporting, patricia.shapella@dep.nj.gov

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