Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson today announced $750,000 is now available through the Florida Forest Services’ Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program. The funds will help implement and strengthen green infrastructure through urban forestry practices.
“Well-managed urban forests are a vital resource in the Sunshine State,” said Commissioner Simpson. “These funds will support practices that aim to make our Florida communities not only more livable but also more resilient to storms and flooding.”
The grants include funds for planting trees along urban waterways, such as canals and streams, which will help capture stormwater runoff and reduce the impact of pollution. The program will also help remove invasive species from urban areas and replace them with native tree species that provide a more ecologically sound canopy cover. Finally, this grant offers funds to help cities encourage tree preservation during construction.
This first-year program is available to local governments, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and Native American tribal governments. These grants are funded through an allocation to the Florida Forest Service from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service.
For more information or to apply, please visit FDACS.gov/ForestryGrants.
The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, manages more than 1 million acres of state forests and provides forest management assistance on more than 17 million acres of private and community forests.
For more information about Commissioner Simpson and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, visit FDACS.gov.
