There are no currently open Urban and Community Forestry Grants.
CoRe Grant Awardee Announcement
Governor Kathy Hochul celebrated Arbor Day by announcing $15 million in new grants through the new Community Reforestation (CoRe) program. Sixteen projects will establish and expand resilient forests in and near New York’s urban communities, contributing to the 2024 State of the State “25 Million Trees Initiative” launched by Governor Hochul to recognize the importance of trees and forests for climate resiliency and community health. Funding for this round of the CoRe grant program was allocated by the Governor in her 2024-2025 Executive Budget.
View the complete list of CoRe Awardees (PDF).
Previous Urban and Community Forestry Grants
Community Reforestation (CoRe) Grants 2025 - Closed
More than 85% of New York’s population lives in or near an urban community. $15 million is available for municipalities, nonprofits, and State agencies through the Community Reforestation (CoRe) Grant program for tree planting projects that expand, restore and create forested natural areas that serve urban populations. This competitive reimbursement grant program contributes to New York State’s goal to plant 25 million trees by 2033, which will mitigate climate change impacts like extreme heat.
CoRe Applicants Resources
- Slides from the webinar (PDF) are available along with a recording of the webinar.
- Questions asked during the open period have been answered in the CoRe Grant FAQ (PDF) which was updated on March 4, 2025.
- CoRe Grant eligibility map.
- Bid Document/Request for Applications (PDF) and the Appendix 8 — EQIP standards (PDF).
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Urban and Community Forestry Grants 2023 - Closed
Funded by the USDA Forest Service through the Federal Inflation Reduction Act, the NY IRA grants were awarded in 2024 in July and September. View the list of initial awardees and the list of additional awards.
The USDA Forest Service allocated this funding to support projects in disadvantaged communities to increase and maintain a healthy urban canopy and equitable access to trees and the benefits they provide. The Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program authorizes funding for a broad range of activities, such as urban wood utilization, urban food forests, extreme heat mitigation, and workforce development.
Urban and Community Forestry Grants Round 16 - Closed
UCF1 – Tree Inventory and Community Forest Management Plan grant awards totaling $978,820 were awarded on December 22, 2023. View the list of awardees for more details.
UCF2 – Tree Planting and Tree Maintenance grant awards totaling $2,040,841 were awarded on April 26, 2024. View the list of awardees (PDF) for more details.
The Request for Applications (RFA) (PDF) outlines deadlines, eligible applicants and projects, and application scoring.
