Community Tree Planting Grants

The Community Tree Planting Grant offered by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is designed to support the removal and planting of shade trees on public or Tribal lands within Minnesota. The primary purpose of this grant is to promote resilient and diverse urban forests that provide long-term environmental benefits while replacing trees lost to forest pests, diseases, or storm damage. The grant encourages the establishment of community forests that are better able to withstand environmental threats such as the emerald ash borer. The initiative prioritizes projects that focus on the removal and replacement of ash trees posing significant public safety concerns and those located in communities with high Supplemental Demographic Index (SDI) scores, which consider socioeconomic factors like income, disability status, education, language access, and life expectancy. Eligible applicants include Tribal governments, cities, counties, townships, and parks and recreation boards in Minnesota’s first-class cities. Projects must include activities such as removing hazardous trees, planting climate-adapted trees, or creating more diverse tree canopies. Projects involving residential properties must follow specific compliance rules and include agreements with homeowners. Tree planting projects must adhere to the 20-10-5 diversity guideline, aiming for no more than 20% of trees from a single family, 10% from a single genus, and 5% from a single species. Additionally, species on Minnesota's invasive species list are prohibited. This grant provides up to $500,000 per award, with a total of $4,850,000 available for distribution. No minimum request is required, and applicants are discouraged from including match contributions, which are not required and cannot be sourced from other state-funded programs. Expenses must be directly tied to the project goals and may include labor, tree stock, watering equipment, mapping, and limited equipment purchases under $5,000. Ineligible expenses include those incurred before the contract start date, capital purchases over $5,000, and plant species not classified as trees. Applications are due by October 13, 2025, and must be submitted by email to ucf.dnr@state.mn.us. The application must include a detailed project description, timeline, budget, location maps, a species and stock list, a 3-year tree establishment plan, and letters of support from partners. Organizations requesting $50,000 or more must also submit a Pre-Award Risk Assessment Questionnaire and financial documentation, except for Tribal governments, who are exempt from this requirement. A steering committee will evaluate applications using a 100-point rubric, and applicants with past DNR Urban & Community Forestry grants must demonstrate strong prior grant performance. Projects will be grouped into tiers based on how well they align with funding priorities. Applications must meet a minimum project score of 70 and a minimum past performance score of 3, where applicable. Selected grantees will be notified by December 23, 2025, and contracts are expected to be finalized by March 15, 2026. All project work must be completed by June 30, 2027. For questions, applicants may email ucf.dnr@state.mn.us. Questions must be submitted by September 30, 2025, to be answered publicly. Reimbursements will be processed semi-annually, with a 10% holdback until final reporting is complete. Reimbursement deadlines are June 2, 2026, December 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027. The grant operates on a reimbursement basis only, and no expenses incurred before contract execution will be reimbursed.

Clearly demonstrate project alignment with stated funding priorities, ensure eligibility of all costs, use map tools to verify Priority Area inclusion, and adhere to diversity planting guidelines.