Grant funding is available for local units of government in Illinois completing tree inventories, planting trees, and combating invasive woody species 

Funding for projects is available for local units of government in Illinois to improve urban and community forestry programs through tree inventories, management plans, tree planting, and woody invasive species removal and replacement. Eligible applicants include municipalities, townships, county governments, tribal governments, forest preserves, conservation districts, and park districts. Funding is provided by the Urban and Community Forestry program of the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. This organization is an equal opportunity provider. The Morton Arboretum is the grant administrator. Funding for this grant program is contingent on a final agreement with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (pending).

Grant awards are available for a minimum of $5,000 and a maximum of $25,000. For all communities, a 1:1 match is required.

All funded projects must include the development or enhancement of a tree protection ordinance to meet the standard set in the RFP. Projects may include one or more of the following components.: 

1. Development or enhancement of a tree preservation ordinance without an additional project component. (REQUIRED)
2. An urban forest management plan that is based on a digital and current tree inventory.
3. An inventory of public trees in the community with an accompanying urban forest management plan that addresses some portion of the results. 
4. Diverse tree planting on public property. 
5. Removal of invasive woody species, including callery pear, buckthorn, and honeysuckle paired with tree replacement and planting.

Deadline: November 15, 2024 

Contact grants.crti@mortonarb.org for assistance.

Tree Equity Grant for Disadvantaged Communities

These grant funds are provided by the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry allocation of  the Inflation Reduction Act and are to be made available through competitive subawards to nature deprived populations and disadvantaged communities for a variety of urban and community forestry based activities including: tree inventories, urban forest management plans, tree planting, urban wood  utilization, urban food forests, extreme heat mitigation, and workforce development.

All of the funding from this program will be used to help communities enhance a resilient and  equitable urban forest in disadvantaged communities in Illinois. 

Program areas funded through this proposal must benefit communities in disadvantaged areas and  include one or more of the following program goals. 

1. Increasing tree canopy in disadvantaged areas of communities through diverse tree planting on  public and private property and care post planting 

2. Improving forest health in disadvantaged areas of communities through pruning, dead tree  removals, ash treatment, pest treatment, tree mulching, and watering 

3. Creating or improving community forestry programs that will benefit disadvantaged areas of the  community through completion of a tree inventory paired with an urban forest management  plan, development or update to a tree preservation or protection ordinance, staff training,  contracting with a certified arborist for program development, development of programs for  wood utilization, and the creation of paid on-the-job training opportunities, including pre apprenticeships and apprenticeships, to expand workforce development pathways for green  careers in urban and community forestry. All projects must directly benefit disadvantaged areas  of the community. 

All work shall be completed  within the specified grant time period (Ends on January 4th, 2028).