Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program (U&CF)

In partnership with state foresters and equivalent state officials, providing financial and technical assistance to local governments and others to encourage stewardship of urban and community trees and forest resources

The Urban and Community Forestry (U&CF) Program addresses the stewardship needs of natural resources where 80 percent of the nation's population lives, works, and plays. Because in urban areas the quality of life is closely connected with land conversion associated with sprawl, there is a strong economic case for conserving and restoring tree cover and green open space to help guide growth, improve the livability of community neighborhoods, and revitalize city centers and older suburbs. The U&CF Program responds to these needs for more than 70 million acres of America's urban and community forest resources.

Administered through USDA Forest Service regional offices and its State and Private Forestry Northeastern Area, the U&CF Program provides technical and financial assistance to state forestry agencies and other partners to help local units of government and community organizations maintain, restore, and improve the health of urban trees, forests, green spaces, and sustainable urban forest ecosystems.

Healthy urban forests have multiple benefits, including reducing energy use, improving air quality, and reducing storm water runoff and flooding. The program provides support for a variety of purposes, including preserving urban forest cover, planting and maintaining trees, providing education programs, facilitating better use of wood from urban trees, and reducing urban tree waste in landfills.

Project Examples

• Grants were given to Lewis and Clark Bicentennial communities along the Lewis and Clark Trail for tree planting, beautification, and other tree-oriented activities that will complement the 3-year celebration.
• Friends of Trees, an award-winning, nonprofit tree-planting organization, used U&CF grant funds to develop a volunteer leadership training manual that can also be used by other volunteer organizations.
• The Wisconsin Urban Forestry Council and the Department of Natural Resources helped facilitate the International Society of Arboriculture Research Trust's tenth annual "Tour Des Trees" bicycle ride to raise money for urban tree research and raise awareness of urban forestry. A record 100 riders from across the country participated in the tour by traveling in parts of Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and southern Wisconsin. The tour was the culmination of the work of hundreds of volunteers and nearly a year of planning to highlight urban forestry.
• Cost-sharing was provided to the New Jersey state forester to help communities sort urban logs and trees into marketable product lines and sell them to local forest products producers.

Application and Financial Information
Assistance for local governments and community organizations is available primarily through State Forestry organizations. Each state issues its own application procedures. Funds are limited by availability and sometimes by Congressional or Administration-identified priorities. The federal contribution cannot exceed 50 percent of the total project costs.

Some USDA Forest Service regions also provide competitive grants directly to local governments and local or regional organizations for regionally significant projects.

The U&CF program funds a competitive, challenge cost-share program in cooperation with the National Urban & Community Forestry Advisory Council to support urban and community forestry activities that are national or widespread in their impact or application. Information about this program is found at www.treelink.org/nucfac/

Eligibility, Uses & Restrictions
Cities, towns, municipalities, local governments, and nongovernmental organizations are eligible. Priority is given to projects that build local capacity and have the support and involvement of communities and volunteer groups. Ordinarily not more than 20 percent of the total funds can be used to buy trees and plant materials.

Contact
Regional and local contacts can be found at the website: www.fs.fed.us/ucf/Regional_Offices.htm