Community Forestry Grant Program
The Iowa Legislature appropriated state infrastructure funds to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to be used for a community-based tree planting program for derecho recovery tree planting. A total of $250,000 in matching funds are available for 27 impacted counties (see map in the application form). Additionally, through the USDA Forest Service & National Association of State Foresters (NASF) 2022 State Urban Forest Resilience Grant Program, the DNR received Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Reforestation funds. A total of $250,000 in matching funds will be made available to the same 27 counties that also suffered losses from EAB.
The Community Forestry Grant Program provides reimbursable grants from $500 to $5,000 to be used to purchase and plant trees suitable to Iowa. For this round of grants, award recipients in counties impacted by both the August 10, 2020 derecho and Emerald Ash Borer will be awarded federal EAB Reforestation funds as a dollar-for-dollar match for state infrastructure derecho recovery funds. Award recipients will be reimbursed up to $5,000 of derecho recovery grant funds and $5,000 grant match funds.
These Community Forestry Grants are available to state and local governments entities, schools and volunteer organizations and service organizations involved with local urban and community forest services, for planting trees on publicly owned lands owned by state, county or local governments and located within the State of Iowa (DNR lands are not eligible). Qualifying public planting lands include, but are not limited to, street right-of-ways, parks, school grounds, courthouse lawns, public buildings, fairgrounds, cemeteries, libraries and trails.
Fall 2022 Award Recipients
A total of $378,305 was awarded to 48 projects. Award recipients include:
- Audubon Community School District
- BCLUW Community School District
- City of Altoona
- City of Ames
- City of Bondurant - CVT
- City of Bondurant - Parks
- City of Bondurant - ROW
- City of Cedar Rapids
- City of Center Point
- City of Colfax
- City of Dallas Center
- City of Dexter
- City of Fairfax
- City of Grand Junction
- City of Grimes
- City of Grinnell
- City of Grundy Center
- City of Hiawatha
- City of Iowa City
- City of Lisbon
- City of Maquoketa
- City of Marion
- City of Maxwell
- City of Muscatine
- City of North Liberty
- City of Palo
- City of Panora
- City of Reinbeck
- City of Tipton
- City of Waukee
- City of West Des Moines
- City of Zearing
- Claude W. and Dolly Ahrens Foundation
- Clear Creek Amana Community School District
- Colfax Parks & Recreation Auxiliary Board
- College Community School District
- Dallas County Conservation Board
- Des Moines Area Community College
- Greene County Conservation Board
- Grundy County
- Grundy County Conservation Board
- Jefferson Tree Committee
- Johnston Community School District
- Linn County Conservation Board
- Lone Tree Community School District
- Scott County Conservation Board
- Sixth Judicial District DCS
- Trees Forever Marshalltown
Spring 2022 Applications Coming soon
The Spring season will award the remaining $121,696.
Trees for Kids Grant Program
Applications are due in March, and are open to public organizations such as municipalities, schools, neighborhood associations, parks and recreation departments, county conservation boards, etc.
Recipients of the Trees for Kids grants can receive up to $2,500 to buy trees and mulch from a nursery, but must include youth education, preferably by having youth help plant the trees.
Application Coming Soon.
Free Community Seedlings
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), through a grant with the U.S. Forest Service, has been awarding communities in counties up to 200 free seedlings from the Iowa DNR’s State Forest Nursery.
Any community is eligible to apply for these free native hardwood and conifer seedlings, even if they have received seedlings through this grant in previous years. Spring of 2023 will have 3,000 trees available, and will be awarded in the order they are received.
The seedlings can be planted on public property or distributed to residents throughout the community to plant on private property. Cities or public organizations can choose to do both public and private property plantings. The seedlings must be planted within city limits.
Any city or public organization interested in applying for the free seedlings should complete the grant application. If awarded the seedlings, they can be picked up from the Iowa DNR State Forest Nursery in Ames or shipped for free.
Free Tree Seedling Spring 2023 Application