Oregon Receives Unprecedented Influx of Federal Funds to Increase Canopy Equity

Of the more than $1 billion that the U.S. Forest Service announced on September 14 has been awarded to state urban and community forestry programs nationwide, $58 million is coming to Oregon, according to the announcement. This support is on top of the $3.75 million state allotment of federal funds awarded in April to the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Urban and Community Forestry Program. The funds result from the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Friends of Trees Coalition Awarded $12 Million

Among the Oregon awardees is the nonprofit Friends of Trees, which secured $12 million to engage low-canopy neighborhoods in community tree planting. Kudos to Friends of Trees, which under an extremely tight June deadline put together an 11-member coalition to apply for these IRA funds. According to the Forest Service announcement, “This project will support the increase in understanding of the role of trees in combating climate change; engage community volunteers in planting and caring for trees and native shrubs in neighborhoods and natural areas; and recruit underrepresented community members and partners to participate in our established Workforce Training Program.”

FoT’s coalition partners for this grant include APANO, Black Parent Initiative, City of Gresham, City of Portland, Columbia Slough Watershed Council, Connecting Canopies, Depave, POIC, Verde, and Wisdom of the Elders. As explained on the FoT website, the $12 million award will direct funds to these partners and Friends of Trees across five years. The award, says FoT’s executive director Yashar Vasef, “is a validation of community tree planting as a model.”

Also awarded funds ($7 million) is Elso, Inc., for a Portland/Vancouver Canopy Collective that in Portland will target the Parkrose and Lents neighborhoods.

Department of Forestry’s Urban and Community Forestry Received Almost $23 Million

Importantly, the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Urban and Community Forestry Program received $22.8 million for a project called Growing Equity in Oregon's Urban and Community Forests: Investing in Disadvantaged Communities to Promote Social, Economic, and Environmental Well-Being.

With this infusion of funds, ODF’s Urban and Community Forestry Program will, according to its proposal, create two $10 million sub-award programs. One will go to successful applicants from federally recognized tribes and tribal organizations, the other to applicants from all eligible entities in the state.

The grant money will be used “to promote urban and community forest investment and tree equity for overburdened and underserved communities in Oregon” and “to advance Urban Community Forest planning and monitoring, education and engagement, network development and relationship building, workforce diversification and development, nursery capacity building and tree production, tree planting and maintenance, and adaptive management and lesson sharing throughout the state of Oregon.”

ODF’s Urban and Community Forestry Program will be hiring staff to administer the new grant program. ODF has not yet announced a specific date for when it will issue a request for proposals.

Other Oregon IRA funding awardees include the cities of Hermiston, Hillsboro, Pendleton, Salem, and the Northwest Youth Corps.