Our grants program in 2024 will be bigger than ever before. The Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Program will be administering nearly $500,000 through three separate categories of grants. The program will also be supporting two additional grant programs through other organizations.
Three VT UCF grant categories are now open and accepting applications. Each grant category has different award amounts, eligibility criteria, and cost-share requirements. Applications for all three categories are due January 5th, 2024.
To aid in project and application development, we have created a 2024 VT UCF Grants Eligibility Map.
VT UCF staff will host monthly 2024 Grants Office Hours as a chance for applicants to ask specific questions about the grant categories, application development, and submission process. These Office Hours will be held virtually using Microsoft Teams and pre-registration is not required. Meeting dates, times, and links are as follows:
- Friday, October 20th, 12-1pm, meeting link
- Thursday, November 16th, 12-1pm, meeting link
- Monday, December 18th, 12-1pm, meeting link
Communities Caring for Canopy
Our traditional grants category will continue to support a wide range of activities that move local urban and community forestry programs forward.
- $70,000 available
- $5,000 minimum award, $20,000 maximum
- 1:1 cost-share requirement
- Projects must be completed by October 31st, 2025
- Eligibility: statewide
Growing Urban Forests in the Face of Emerald Ash Borer
This category will support removal of ash trees and replanting of species other than ash within the public right-of-way and parks in urban areas and along corridors that lead to downtowns and village centers.
- $125,000 available
- $5,000 minimum award, $50,000 maximum
- 1:1 cost-share requirement
- Projects must be completed by October 31st, 2025
- Eligibility: Projects must take place within a 1-mile radius of designated areas through the VT Agency of Commerce & Community Developments Designation Programs. This includes Designated Downtowns, Village Centers, New Town Centers, Growth Centers, and Neighborhood Development Areas. Learn more by visiting the ACCD Planning Atlas.
Urban & Community Forestry Grants
Funded through an unprecedented one-time allocation from the US Forest Service, this category will support work in specific communities to increase and maintain a healthy urban canopy and access to nature.
- $300,000 available
- $5,000 minimum award, $50,000 maximum
- No cost-share requirement
- Projects must be completed by June 30th, 2026
- Eligibility: Projects must take place in or directly serve “disadvantaged communities”, which are census tracts included in one or more of the following datasets:
- The federal Council on Environmental Quality’s Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool
- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Opportunity Zones dataset
- The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development’s dataset for low to moderate income (LMI) areas
Additional Funding
In addition to these three grant categories, VT UCF will be also be supporting:
- A third year of Fruit & Nut Tree Grants through the Vermont Garden Network
- A new Urban Tree Planting Grant block grant program (details forthcoming)
To ensure that you are receiving up-to-date information about these funding opportunities, please sign up for our TREEmail newsletter.