NY Announces Urban Forestry Grants For Mid-Hudson Valley

NEW PALTZ, NY — Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced grant awards Friday totaling $2.3 million for urban forestry projects in communities across New York, including grants for six mid-Hudson Valley communities. The Urban Forestry grants are funded through the state Environmental Protection Fund and are part of New York's ongoing initiatives to address invasive species, climate change and environmental justice.

"These investments will help improve the quality of life in New York neighborhoods by supporting the replacement of trees impacted by invasive pests," Cuomo said. "Every New Yorker deserves access to clean air, and through these urban forestry grants, we are promoting the benefits of planting new trees to support a better, healthier New York for all."

Grants were made available to municipalities, public benefit corporations, public authorities, school districts, soil and water conservation districts, community colleges, not-for-profit organizations, and Indian Nations. Awards range from $11,000 to $75,000, depending on municipal population. Tree inventories and community forestry management plans have no match. Tree planting and maintenance projects have a 25 percent match.

The awarded projects target local environmental needs that can truly benefit the community and the environment, including watershed protection. Projects include reforestation in areas to restore forest canopy lost to invasive species such as the Emerald Ash Borer. The 51 project winners for the 2017 grants were selected from 147 applications scored competitively.

Grant recipients are included below:

Orange County

• City of Newburgh - $50,000: Greening S. William Street Tree Planting
• City of Port Jervis - $50,000: City of Port Jervis - Tree Inventory and Forest Management Plan
• Town of Warwick - $21,000: Tree Inventory and Management Plan of 6 Town Parks and 12 Public cul-de-sacs

Ulster County

• City of Kingston - $50,000: Kingston Tree Inventory
• Village of New Paltz - $41,364: Tree Inventory and Management Plan - Village and Town of New Paltz (Core Urbanized Area)
• Village of New Paltz - $38,875: Village and Town of New Paltz Forestry Management Plan
• Village of Saugerties - $48,241: Village of Saugerties Street Tree Maintenance

Westchester County

• Town of Bedford - $43,305: Bedford UCF Tree Inventory
• Town of Ossining - $14,000: Tree Inventory in Town of Ossining Commercial Zone
• Town of Rye - $12,906: Crawford Tree Inventory and Community Forest Maintenance Plan
• Village of Port Chester - $50,000: Village of Port Chester - Tree Inventory Initiative
• Village of Port Chester - $42,250: Village of Port Chester - Tree Management Initiative
• Village of Mount Kisco - $50,000: Village/Town of Mt. Kisco - Tree Inventory and Management Plan
• Village of Hastings-on-Hudson - $29,500: Hillside Woods and Park Forest Management Plan

Photo credit: Google Maps.