USFS IRA
Grant Program
2020-2022 Advocating for the IRA to Advance Urban Forestry
In 2020, CRS led a consortium of organizations, Mayors, and representatives from 100 cities across the US to advocate for significant increases in federal urban forestry funding as a critical element in community recovery and climate change protection.
The Trees for Community Recovery campaign identified the types of funding required to expand community forestry nationwide as an important nature-based climate solution, and ultimately influenced federal decision-making to increase federal funding for Urban & Community Forestry to $1.5B as part of the Inflation Reduction Act.
Proud National Pass-Through Partner of the USDA Forest Service
In 2023 USDA and the U.S. Forest Service appointed CRS/USDN as National Pass-Through Partners with an award of $28 million of the historic $1.5B in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act to re-grant to communities accelerating urban forestry projects nationwide.
Check out our funding announcement here: https://naturebasedclimate.solutions/updates/28-million-award-national-pass-through-partners-urban-community-forestry
This important funding helps us continue our vital work supporting communities to expand and protect urban forests, which are pivotal in addressing climate change, fostering equitable access to green spaces, and building resilient communities.
Read more about this historic investment in urban forestry on the United States Forest Service website.
Partnerships to advance equity-based community forestry.
Through the USFS IRA Grant Program, CRS and USDN can expand and advance our vital work supporting communities in addressing climate change, fostering equitable access to green spaces, and building resilient communities. The 25 grantee communities in the CRS/USDN Portfolio will focus on:
Tree planting and maintenance in disadvantaged communities most vulnerable to climate impacts
Conducting tree canopy and inventory analyses
Establishing urban forestry apprenticeship and entrepreneurship programs
Building essential urban forestry capacity in their municipalities
CRS and USDN provide a range of project support technical assistance, best practices instruction, and helpful resources toward the acceleration of urban forestry:
Our USFS IRA Grantee Community
CRS/USDN Grantee communities are distributed throughout the U.S. and represent a wide range of landscapes, community needs, and opportunities.
For more information about our IRA Grant Program please contact Kirsten Maynard, CRS Managing Director.
Accelerating Urban Forestry Funding Opportunities
During the summer of 2024, CRS and USDN have the opportunity to award $5.5 million in IRA funds to communities that will be part of a national cohort participating in the scale-up of two proven capacity-building initiatives: the Community Forest Corps and the Urban Forestry Equity Fellowship Program.
In support of and alignment with national goals to increase community resilience to extreme heat and other climate impacts, these programs provide natural infrastructure solutions as climate action that deliver equity-centered community and workforce development opportunities focusing on the communities most impacted by historical injustices and climate risks.
