Natasha Blakely, natasha.blakely@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Forest Service announced on Thursday the grantees of its Urban and Community Forestry Program. The Biden administration had earmarked over $1 billion for the program, supporting efforts to increase equitable access to trees and nature through projects that would plant trees, combat extreme heat, improve air quality, and provide more green spaces for communities.
Out of the 842 applications submitted, requesting a total of $6.4 billion in funding, 385 proposals were selected, distributed across all 50 states, D.C., and several U.S. Territories and Tribal Nations. Included among those selected were Sierra Club partners such as Green Latinos, Hispanic Access Foundation, Trust for Public Land, and Friends of Grand Rapids Parks.
In response, Sierra Club Associate Director of Legislative and Administrative Advocacy, Forests and Public Lands, Anna Medema, released the following statement:
“It’s amazing to see the range of projects that have been awarded a significant and life-changing amount of funding through this Forest Service program. Cities, territories, and communities all across the country will be able to experience the benefits of increased tree canopy and green space in their lives, bringing us another step closer to closing the nature-equity gap and ensuring that disadvantaged communities can get the access that has been denied to them for so long.
"The high demand for the program, with applications totaling six times the available funding, just goes to show how necessary programs like the Urban and Community Forestry Program are. We celebrate the victory this represents, and hope the administration recognizes that there is a strong demand and a desire for programs that protect and bolster our forests.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.