Governor Hochul Announces $10 Million Available for Urban Forest Inventory and Assessment Grants

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that $10 million in funding is now available to support urban and community forestry management projects for enhanced environmental quality, increased tree health and diversity, and climate mitigation. The grant opportunity is available to municipalities, not-for-profit organizations, Indian Nations and Tribes, and other community-based organizations through the State Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program.

"We recognize how essential urban and community forests are to the health and well-being of our neighborhoods," Governor Hochul said. "With this latest $10 million investment, our State is empowering communities with the tools to better understand, manage, and grow their tree resources to build stronger, more resilient neighborhoods and deliver on our commitment to environmental justice for all New Yorkers."

Since 2021, New York committed more than $116.5 million to tree and forest-related projects, including $41 million to urban and community forests, $61 million for tree nurseries and forest-based markets, and $7.5 million for forest health and reforestation. Funding is primarily awarded through the State's Environmental Protection Fund. New York also saw an influx of federal funding into urban forestry during this time, with an additional $73.5 million granted directly to non-governmental organizations and local governments through the Inflation Reduction Act under the Biden Administration.

Eligible projects for the latest round of DEC's Urban and Community Forest (UCF) grant program include:

• Traditional street and landscaped park tree inventory and assessment,
• Street tree and landscaped park tree inventory and assessment using terrestrial LiDAR,
• Forested natural areas inventory and assessment, and
• Management plans based on inventory and assessment data.

The assessment of forested natural areas and projects using ground-based remote sensing technologies are new opportunities in this round of UCF grants. Applicants may use advanced tools such as terrestrial LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to capture highly detailed, 3D digital representations of street and landscaped park trees. These cutting-edge technologies can complement existing field-based data and improve the speed and efficiency of inventories and assessments, enabling communities to better understand and manage their community trees.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, "Today's $10 million opportunity underscores Governor Hochul and DEC's ongoing commitment to protecting and expanding the State's urban tree canopy and celebrating the vital role trees play in our communities. Tree inventories are a critical first step in building healthier, more resilient urban forests. By supporting the use of new technology and assessment methods, this round of funding will help communities make data-driven decisions to support resiliency and maximize the benefits of their green infrastructure."

There is no match requirement for this grant. Applicants may apply for a minimum of $50,000 up to a maximum of $2.5 million. All projects must take place on public property, private land open to the public, or federally and State recognized Tribal reservation land.

DEC will host a free webinar on Tuesday, June 2, from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. to provide information and answer questions about this funding opportunity. To register, visit https://meetny-gov.webex.com/weblink/register/r51eb040ce8ed3fdb5e4ae31567826ebf.

Applications will be accepted until 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. Applications must be submitted through the Statewide Financial System (SFS). Those wishing to apply must first register in SFS. Not-for-profits must also prequalify before the application deadline.

Funding for this grant opportunity is provided by the New York State Environmental Protection Fund. For more details about the grant opportunity, including application and scoring criteria, visit DEC's website or email [email protected].

This opportunity complements other State urban forestry grant opportunities, such as the Community Reforestation (CoRe) Program, by helping applicants better understand and create actionable plans for healthy forests and future tree planting. Every tree planted in New York State counts toward Governor Hochul's statewide goal to plant 25 million trees by 2033. New Yorkers can learn more about how they can contribute to the 25 Million Trees Initiative on the DEC's webpage.