In 2019, the Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Program offered $40,000 of cost-share grants to support efforts in preparing and managing the local impacts of emerald ash borer (EAB). The maximum proposal was for $2000. This funding supported a variety of public outreach, educational trainings, ash tree inventories, management plans and more. See how these 20 grantees put the funds to good use. Grant outcomes are organized by category.

Communication and Outreach

Northwest Regional Planning Commission: sent 1,383 informational postcards to landowners in Franklin and Grand Isle counties, created two reoccurring print advertisements, and boosted social media posts.

Town of Calais: sent informational mailing to 850 Calais households, posted on social media, and tagged ash trees with signage.

Town of Charlotte: sent informational postcards to Charlotte households.

Town of Colchester: established an EAB resource webpage, used the Town's Notify Me tool to send out public information about the pest and sent an informational mailing to Colchester residents.

Town of Corinth: sent mailing to all town landowners and wrote news articles for local media.

Town of Milton: conducted a public survey and utilized results to inform advisory plan.

Town of Sharon: printed educational materials and handouts for four public education events (Town meeting, School Board meeting, Green Up Day, and Old Homes Day).

Town of Vershire:  wrote news articles and sent two mailings to landowners.

Hosted Public Trainings

Grand Isle County EAB Task Force: hosted workshops on hazard tree assessment and EAB signs and symptoms for town staff and local tree companies.

Northwest Regional Planning Commission: hosted workshop for municipal representatives to learn management options for EAB.

Town of Milton: hosted two public meetings, one general EAB information session adn the second was a planning session, breaking down the techniques and costs, and exploring where the town  should focus its efforts for treatment and removal/replacement.

Town of Vershire: hosted public presentations and incorporated EAB information into summer camp programs.

Conducted an Ash Inventory & EAB Management Plan

Grand Isle County EAB Task Force: conducted ash tree inventories and coordinate a regional response.

Town of Bradford: created an EAB Management Committee and trained volunteers to conduct a rural roadside ash inventory.

Town of Calais: trained volunteers to conduct and rural roadside ash inventory of 60 miles of town roads and developed an EAB management plan.

Town of Charlotte: hired interns to complete comprehensive inventory and mapping effort of all public roadside ash trees.

Town of Colchester: updated and expanded the 2012-2013 public ash tree inventory and use the information to develop an EAB management plan.

Town of Corinth: purchased two tablets to conduct a comprehensive rural roadside ash inventory.

Town of East Montpelier: conducted an ash tree inventory and developed a management plan.

Town of Guilford: purchased two tablets and associated supplies to conduct a rural roadside ash inventory on 78 miles of town roads.

Town of Huntington: hired an environmental consultant to develop a tool using Survey123 (an app), that analyzed and mapped the ash inventory data collected.

Town of Milton: conducted an ash inventory of 100 miles of road and 10 miles of town trails, for a total of 1,793 ash trees.

Town of Northfield: surveyed and mapped all ash trees on public land.

Town of Putney: worked with a professor at nearby Landmark College to develop and conduct an ash tree inventory. The inventory data will be incorporated into the Putney Hazard Mitigation Plan.

Town of Shelburne: purchased two tablets and associated supplies to conduct a public ash tree inventory and hired an intern to conduct a rural roadside ash inventory.

Town of Vershire: purchased two tablets and associated supplies with which to conduct a complete roadside ash inventory, and formed a tree committee to develop a formal EAB management plan

Town of Waterbury: worked with the Central VT Regional Planning Commission to complete a public ash tree inventory and hired a forestry consultant to analyze data and develop a comprehensive EAB management plan.

Replaced Ash Trees

Town of Calais: planted 2 trees to replaces ash that had been removed.

Town of Middlebury: planted 7 trees on the town green.

Town of Williston: planted 10 honeylocust treess along Marshall Avenue. (Grant funds supported 2.5 of the total number of trees.)

Wood Utilization

Town of Montpelier: established a wood disposal yard (marshalling area) so that the city can receive and responsibly process local ash material.