The Inflation Reduction Act included a lot of funding for natural climate solutions, including urban forests. The US Forest Service announced yesterday that they have awarded over $1 billion in grants for urban forest projects across the country, including in all 50 states.
The agency has selected 385 grant proposals from entities that are working to increase equitable access to trees and green spaces, and the many benefits they provide. 100% of funding will flow to disadvantages communities, and funded proposals are located in all 50 states, two U.S. territories, three U.S. affiliated Pacific islands, and in several tribal communities.
You can go to the Forest Service's Urban and Community Forestry Grants - 2023 Grant Awards page to see the grants awarded in each state. That way you can check for projects awarded in your local area. I found $1M in grants for the City of Sacramento near me, for example:
There may be some potential for CCL chapters to contact the local governments receiving these urban tree grants to see if there's a way to get involved in their deployment, or to learn about the local projects that these grants will fund.
@Dana Nuccitelli Do we know status of Forest ACT? Â It looks like it died after being introduced in 2021
 and never received a vote but I see it is listed as our main policy initative on our website. Â
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Hi @Rebecca Maselli. Congress has been slow to introduce any forest-related legislation this session. It will mostly go into the Farm Bill, which was scheduled to be passed this year but has instead been pushed to 2024. So we expect to see a number of forestry-related bills introduced once Congress turns its sights back towards the Farm Bill, and that could conceivably include the FOREST Act.
@Dana Nuccitelli Thanks Dana.  Our local chapter is doing a presentation on “Healthy Forests," so I am trying to cobble together a good PowerPoint.  Using some old presentations as guides and trying to make sure everything is updated.  I'm not a forestry expert so I'm getting an education!  Thanks for the quick response.  Have a good weekend.
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