The Florida Urban and Community Forestry Grants program is part of the broader Urban and Community Forestry Matching Grant Program funded by the U.S. Forest Service. Administered by the Florida Forest Service under the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the program supports initiatives that improve or establish urban forestry programs throughout the state. The program underscores the critical role of urban forests in providing social, economic, environmental, and psychological benefits to Florida’s communities.
The core funding mechanism involves 50-50 matching grants, where the federal government provides half of the funding, and the applicant is responsible for the other half. This structure applies to local governments, educational institutions, Native-American tribal governments, and legally organized nonprofit volunteer organizations. The grants aim to support diverse aspects of urban forestry through well-defined categories such as public tree planting, inventory assessments, management planning, and public education.
Four primary categories are eligible for funding. The Public Tree Canopy Improvement category facilitates the purchase and installation of trees in public spaces, including parks and rights-of-way. The Public Tree Inventory or Urban Tree Canopy Assessment category enables communities to enhance their management practices through data collection and analysis. The Urban Forest Management Planning category promotes the creation or enhancement of strategic forestry plans that define current and future goals for urban tree resources. The Urban Forestry Information and Education category funds initiatives like workshops, brochures, and signage aimed at increasing public awareness of urban forestry.
Two additional initiatives fall under the program but have different funding mechanisms and timelines. The Inflation Reduction Act Grant Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provides $3.75 million to expand urban tree cover and address climate-related risks, though it is currently closed. Another program, the UCF-PPIC (Urban and Community Forestry — Plantings, Preservation, and Invasive Control), funded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, waives matching requirements and focuses on invasive species control, stormwater retention, and tree preservation. This program is also currently closed but expected to reopen later in 2024.
Applications for the core Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program must be submitted through https://grants.fdacs.gov/, where updates and open opportunities are posted. Specific timelines and deadlines for the 2025 cycle are not provided in the current posting. Applicants are encouraged to monitor the site for updates on new cycles, particularly for programs currently closed but anticipated to reopen.
For further information, the program coordinator, Todd Little, can be contacted at Todd.Little@FDACS.gov or by phone at (850) 681-5874. His office is located at the Florida Forest Service, 3125 Conner Blvd., C-25, Tallahassee, FL, 32399-1650.
