State Natural Resources Grants

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is offering the 2024 Community & Urban Forestry Assistance (CUFA) Grant. This program aims to foster the long-term growth and development of community forestry programs throughout Indiana. The core mission of the grant aligns with enhancing the quality of life for residents by investing in sustainable urban forest management. The overall funding available for this program is $230,000, with individual project requests ranging from a minimum of $1,000 to a maximum of $25,000. The target beneficiaries of the CUFA Grant include municipalities (cities, towns, townships, counties, and other local government entities as defined by IC 369-1-2) and non-profit 501(c)3 organizations. The grant's impact goals are broad, focusing on the expansion and preservation of urban tree canopy, increased and more equitable access to urban tree canopy, broadened community engagement in urban forest planning, and improved resilience to climate change, pests, and storm events through best management practices. The program prioritizes several key areas. These include establishing and strengthening community urban forestry programs, promoting urban forestry benefits through proper tree selection, planting, and care, establishing comprehensive tree inventories for data-driven decisions, and promoting risk management through tree assessment and mitigation plans. The grant also emphasizes restoring diminished community tree canopy, diversifying urban forests for long-term resilience, and ensuring urban forests provide ecosystem services such as cleaner air, improved watershed health, reduced erosion, stormwater runoff, and reduced urban heat island effects. Expected outcomes and measurable results include addressing historic inequities in urban forestry, adapting urban forest accessibility to changing demographics, promoting the Indiana nursery and arboriculture industries, and enhancing the built environment through increased property values and reduced energy demands. The grant supports activities such as the development of tree inventories or urban tree canopy assessments, creation or update of urban forestry management/response plans, education and training, and community engagement and tree planting initiatives. All tree planting projects must include community engagement, occur on public property, utilize 100% native Indiana species (with limited exceptions for Acer genus trees), and include a maintenance plan. Other supported activities include urban wood utilization, establishment of urban food forests, invasive species removal, and community website development specific to urban forestry.

This program provides financial assistance to marinas and boat docking facilities in North Carolina's coastal counties for installing or renovating sewage pumpout stations to improve water quality by reducing sewage discharge from recreational vessels.

This program provides funding for farmers and ranchers in the North Central region to develop and share sustainable agricultural practices through research and educational projects.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to various organizations in Pennsylvania for projects aimed at reducing nonpoint source pollution and improving water quality in impaired watersheds.

This program provides financial assistance to Iowa cities for the redevelopment or rehabilitation of underutilized buildings to promote economic growth and community revitalization.

This funding opportunity supports Michigan-based organizations in launching volunteer-led stream monitoring programs to collect important water quality data through macroinvertebrate monitoring.

This funding initiative provides financial support for innovative projects that enhance oil recovery methods in North Dakota, particularly targeting collaborations between oil operators, service companies, and research institutions.

This program provides funding to support the maintenance and improvement of winter trail infrastructure for snowmobiling in Colorado, benefiting local snowmobile clubs, organizations, and agencies involved in trail grooming and safety initiatives.

This funding program provides financial support to public and private water providers, municipalities, and nonprofit organizations for projects that develop alternative water supplies and implement water conservation technologies in South Florida.

This program provides financial assistance to Montana livestock producers for implementing measures to prevent economic losses from predation by large carnivores like wolves and bears.

This program provides funding to enhance the competitiveness of Michigan's specialty crop producers through projects focused on marketing, research, education, and sustainability.

This funding program provides financial support to at-risk communities in Alaska for developing wildfire protection plans and implementing projects to reduce wildfire risks.

This program provides funding to local governments, nonprofits, and for-profit organizations for projects that enhance public wildlife viewing opportunities and promote conservation of Georgia's nongame wildlife and habitats.

This grant provides funding to farmers in Wisconsin to develop and implement innovative methods for optimizing commercial nitrogen use in their agricultural practices, in collaboration with a University of Wisconsin institution.

This funding opportunity supports local governments, nonprofits, and other organizations in Colorado to create and strengthen partnerships that promote sustainable outdoor recreation and conservation efforts across the state.

This funding opportunity supports municipalities, agencies, and nonprofit organizations in Utah to improve and maintain off-highway vehicle trails and facilities, ensuring safety and accessibility for the OHV community.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for individuals and communities in Oregon to assess the viability of water conservation, reuse, and storage projects, requiring a 50% cost match for feasibility studies.

This program provides financial assistance to rural fire departments in Illinois to enhance their firefighting capabilities through the purchase of essential equipment and materials.

This grant provides matching funds to states for acquiring land or conservation easements to protect habitats for endangered species, supporting efforts to reduce conflicts between conservation and land use.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to Vermont municipalities, nonprofits, and government entities for the development, restoration, and maintenance of public recreational trails, including projects for both motorized and non-motorized use.