Deadline: 06-Mar-2025
The Chesapeake Bay Trust is pleased to announce the Urban Trees Grant Program to green communities; enhance quality of life, human health, and community livability by improving air quality, and reducing urban heat island effect; and mitigating the effects of climate change.
The Urban Trees Grant Program is part of a legislative agenda passed by the Maryland General Assembly to achieve 5,000,000 trees by 2031.
Projects selected for funding must be fully or significantly focused on planting of trees (defined as “implementation”). Section 8–1911 of the Natural Resources Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland allows funds to be used for planning to support the implementation phase and a maintenance phase in addition to implementation. The Trust requires implementation and maintenance phases to be part of all requests to be eligible for funding.
Projects may include other components, such as workforce development activities, but the tangible result of projects selected for funding must be measurable trees in the ground.
Funding Information
- The amount of funding available for the Urban Trees Grant Program will be determined by the State of Maryland’s Fiscal Year 2026 budgeting process.
- To attempt to accomplish the ultimate goal of planting 500,000 trees in underserved urban areas within nine years, they ask that applicants limit their costs wherever possible (though request enough for a successful implementation project).
- Generally, street tree project requests should result in a budget averaging $600 or less per tree (especially if tree pits need to be created or expanded), though if higher costs are required, they can be justified in the proposal. Other types of tree projects may be closer to $100 per tree if less site preparation is required and smaller trees can be used.
- The Trust at present is aiming for an overarching goal of an average of $180 per tree in the overall program. However, individual applicants do not need to aim for that goal if their sites or projects do not allow.
- Costs Associated with Community Needs that Indirectly Support Greening Activities
- Applicants pursuing tree planting projects through this grant program may request a limited amount of funds for expenses not directly related to tree planting activities as listed above but for activities related to community needs associated with the spaces that cannot be supported by State funds. A wide range of activities may fall into this category. Examples include:
- Costs needed to convene people and groups that cannot be covered by State funds such as food;
- Community revitalization elements to restore open spaces, install benches, and incorporate other plant material;
- Costs associated with community meetings around public safety; and
- Youth education needs associated with the physical space identified for tree planting.
- The maximum request for funds in this category is $2,000. BGE, an Exelon company, has committed funding to cover these costs.
- Applicants pursuing tree planting projects through this grant program may request a limited amount of funds for expenses not directly related to tree planting activities as listed above but for activities related to community needs associated with the spaces that cannot be supported by State funds. A wide range of activities may fall into this category. Examples include:
Eligible Project Types
- Projects selected for funding must be fully or significantly focused on planting trees. Tree planting projects can occur on sites including, but not limited to:
- Streets and rights of way
- Vacant lots
- Institutional grounds
- Open space
Who can apply?
- Nonprofit organizations, schools, community or neighborhood associations, service, youth, or civic groups, institutions of higher education, counties and municipalities, and forest conservancy district boards.
For more information, visit Chesapeake Bay Trust.