Open Urban and Community Forestry Grants
Community Reforestation (CoRe) Grant Round 2
$20 million is available for Round 2 of Community Reforestation (CoRe) grant. The goal of CoRe is to support tree planting projects that will create or restore forested natural areas in urban communities across the state. Projects funded by this grant will directly contribute to the “25 Million Trees Initiative” launched by Governor Hochul in recognition of the importance of trees and forests for climate resiliency and community health. This grant is funded by the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022.
About the CoRe Grant
More than 85% of New York’s population lives in or near an urban community. $20 million is available for municipalities, nonprofits, soil and water conservation districts, Indian Tribes and Nations, and State agencies through the Community Reforestation (CoRe) Grant program for tree planting projects that expand and restore forested natural areas that serve urban populations. The deadline for applications is 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 4, 2026.
DEC hosted a free webinar on Thursday, August 20, 2026, to provide information and answer questions about this funding opportunity. View a recording of the August 20 webinar.
CoRe Applicants Resources
- Bid Document/Request for Applications (PDF) and the Appendix 8 — EQIP standards (PDF)
- CoRe Grant eligibility map
- For information on eligibility, application questions, grant requirements, and scoring criteria, review the CoRe Round 2 Questions and Answers document through August 26, 2026 (PDF)
Past Urban and Community Forestry Grants
Community Reforestation (CoRe) Grants Round 1 – Closed
Governor Kathy Hochul celebrated Arbor Day 2025 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.
CoRe Program Resources
- View the complete list of CoRe Awardees (PDF).
- Bid Document/Request for Applications (PDF) and the Appendix 8 — EQIP standards (PDF).
Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program Round 17: Tree Inventories and Management Plans – Closed
This grant is now closed. Applications were due on August 12, 2026. $10 million in funding was available through Round 17 of DEC’s Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Grant Program. Of the $10 million dollars that was available, $3 million was set aside for communities with populations of 65,000 or less. Maximum grant awards were limited to $2.5 million and minimum awards were of $50,000.
For complete information on eligibility, application questions, grant requirements, and scoring criteria, review the UCF Round 17 Questions and Answers document through August 5, 2026 (PDF)
Eligible Entities
- Municipalities;
- Not for profit organizations;
- Indian Nations and Tribes; and
- State agencies (only for inventory of forested natural areas)
Eligible Projects
- Traditional street and landscaped park tree inventory and assessment;
- Street tree and landscaped park tree inventory and assessment using ground-based remote sensing technologies;
- Forested natural areas inventory and assessment; and
- Management plans based on inventory and assessment data.
DEC hosted a free webinar on Tuesday, June 2, 2026 to provide information and answer questions about this funding opportunity. View a recording of the June 2 webinar.
