In the coming half-decade, the leaders of Seattle, often referred to as the Emerald City, will allocate millions in federal funding towards greening neighborhoods that currently lack sufficient tree coverage. As the Seattle metropolitan area grapples with increasingly frequent episodes of extreme heat, trees have transitioned from a mere luxury to a vital climate solution in the eyes of its residents.
Jessyn Farrell, the director of Seattle’s Office of Sustainability & Environment, emphasized the growing sense of urgency surrounding the urban forest, primarily due to the effects of climate change. She noted that a significant shift in recent years has been the recognition of trees as critical climate infrastructure, which, unfortunately, are also bearing the brunt of climate change impacts.
Amidst a growing need for climate resilience across the United States, a new federal grant program has emerged, aiming to harness the power of trees, particularly in neighborhoods with limited tree canopy. Urban forests play a pivotal role in moderating temperatures during heatwaves by providing shade, while also absorbing stormwater runoff and air pollutants. However, it’s a harsh reality that communities of color and low-income areas often miss out on these invaluable benefits.
Beattra Wilson, who leads the U.S. Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, hailed this development as a profound investment in the concept of trees as genuine living infrastructure, rather than being a resource accessible to only a few. She highlighted the many communities that have long suffered the consequences of insufficient investments in urban forestry.
Just last month, Wilson’s agency unveiled a remarkable milestone: $1 billion in grant awards distributed to 385 cities, nonprofits, tribes, and other entities. This funding, established by Congress in the previous year’s Inflation Reduction Act, grants selected communities a five-year window to execute projects aimed at expanding and safeguarding their urban tree cover. Simultaneously, environmental organizations, such as the Arbor Day Foundation, received substantial allocations to manage their own grant programs.
It is important to recognize that this program isn’t merely about purchasing $1 billion worth of seedlings. Cities must collaborate with nurseries to nurture more trees, work closely with community leaders to create a comprehensive plan, and establish a workforce dedicated to planting and maintaining these trees. In addition, long-term care is crucial to ensure the survival of vulnerable saplings, involving regular watering, mulching, and pruning. Local leaders contend that the extended grant timeframe is essential to harmonize all these elements effectively.
Seattle, for example, secured $12.9 million to embark on projects that encompass tree planting, maintenance of existing trees, building partnerships with community leaders, and establishing training opportunities for young individuals aspiring to enter the green workforce. The allocated funds will serve to enhance existing programs and partnerships, including the creation of a city-operated tree nursery.
Despite the undeniable momentum in expanding urban tree coverage, foresters face several ongoing challenges. Some leaders have undertaken efforts in recent years to establish connections in underserved neighborhoods that have historically lacked investment, yet they recognize the need for more outreach to ensure that projects are genuine partnerships. For nonprofit groups involved in tree planting, bureaucratic hurdles in some cities may impede progress.
The surge in demand for tree planting could potentially strain nurseries if they are unprepared to grow the specific tree varieties required in the quantities demanded by cities. Additionally, some officials anticipate that their initiatives will necessitate further investments, such as incorporating arborists into city staff, once the grant funding concludes.
While city leaders are eager to break ground on new tree-planting projects, foresters, whether in Seattle or elsewhere, emphasize that planting trees represents just a small fraction of their broader initiatives. David Pineda, the director of operations and grants with TreePeople, a Southern California environmental nonprofit, stressed the importance of post-planting maintenance, as this phase is often expensive but essential for the long-term success of urban trees.
TreePeople, thanks to an $8 million grant from the Forest Service, will plant or distribute approximately 8,000 trees. The organization commits to providing years of care for these trees, training a workforce for urban forestry jobs, and identifying neighborhoods with the greatest need for increased tree cover.
In Washington, D.C., forestry experts have a clear understanding of where investments are needed the most. Vince Drader, communications and development director with Casey Trees, a nonprofit based in the capital city, pointed out that the eastern part of the city is disproportionately affected by higher temperatures, flood events, and respiratory illnesses due to a lack of tree canopy. Casey Trees received over $9 million from the federal program, which they will use to plant 10,000 new trees and maintain 30,000 young trees, in addition to expanding their workforce.
This extensive work in cities like D.C. builds on the efforts of organizations such as American Forests, a nonprofit that published a Tree Equity report in 2021, outlining disparities in urban tree coverage. American Forests, a leading advocate for the federal funding, has collaborated with numerous local governments to help them evaluate their tree distribution.
Joel Pannell, the vice president of urban forest policy at American Forests, emphasized that most projects funded by the grant program encompass a wide array of activities, including community engagement, planning, maintenance, workforce development, training, and the preservation of existing trees. It is a misrepresentation, he noted, to focus solely on tree planting, as the success of such initiatives hinges on comprehensive investments.
American Forests itself received $10 million for their forestry work, along with an additional $40 million that they will allocate to other applicants. Leaders at the Forest Service believe that the pass-through grants managed by environmental organizations will increase the program’s capacity to process more applications and reach a wider array of communities.
In Chicago, local leaders received $15 million to support the Chicago Region Trees Initiative, a collaboration between communities and organizations aimed at expanding the city’s urban forest. Lydia Scott, the initiative’s director, pointed out that the grant, which doesn’t require recipients to match the funds, will make it accessible to many underserved communities. The grant’s five-year duration provides ample time for the partnership to conduct inventories, plan, and get trees planted.
Participating communities are required to commit to maintaining plantings for a minimum of three years. As the grant program continues to benefit more cities and towns, forestry leaders hope to see them hire certified arborists on staff. “We see this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Scott concluded, “but it could continue to have benefits for us if we get this knowledge in place so it becomes routine for communities to do this kind of work.”