Deadline: 12-Jul-21
The State of Hawaii’s Urban and Community Forestry Program housed within the Department of Land and Resources (DLNR) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) has announced the applications for Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry Program.
Kaulunani focuses on improving the health and viability of trees in Hawaii’s communities through the implementation of educational programs; supporting Tree City USA communities across the state; providing technical training; administering financial support in the form of cost-share grants via Kaulunani’s Grant Program; supporting Arbor Day Hawaii; and maintaining public/private partnerships. Funding for this program comes from the State and Private Forestry Branch of the USDA Forest Service.
Purposes
The purpose of Kaulunani is to strengthen the capacity of communities to plan for, establish, manage and protect trees, forests, and green spaces across Hawaii. Through these actions and through supporting relationships among people and trees, this program provides social, economic, ecological, and health benefits to Hawaii’s communities. It supports collaboration across governmental, private, non-profit, and community-based organizations to improve the biocultural well-being of communities and the ecosystems they inhabit.
Program Goals
The primary goals of the urban and community forestry program are:
- Improve the understanding of the benefits of trees in urban areas and communities.
- Increase tree canopy cover.
- Reduce carbon emissions, conserve energy, improve air quality and increase other environmental benefits.
- Support community tree planting and tree demonstration projects.
- Support Arbor Day activities.
- Enhance the technical skills and knowledge of the urban forest industry.
- Expand research and educational efforts.
For 2021, the Kaulunani Advisory Council is focused on the following key elements of Kaulunani’s mission:
- Health and Well-being: They refer to the physical, social, cultural, emotional, and psychological well-being that are promoted through exposure to and engagement with trees and forests in places where they live, work, learn, and play. Proposals may focus on any dimension of health and well-being as promoted through trees, tree canopy, and forests. Proposals may also address these issues through outreach, education, and technical tools that promote health through trees/forests for underserved communities.
- Equity and Access: They acknowledge the uneven distribution of healthy and well-maintained urban tree canopy, forests, and fruit bearing trees across their communities statewide. Knowing that trees are vital to the health, well-being and wealth of their communities, it is imperative to work towards reversing inequities through increasing the presence of and access to trees, canopy, and forests in their urban and community spaces. Equity and access can also be addressed through outreach, education, and technical tools for underserved communities.
Funding Information
- Grant Awards: $500-$7,500
- Total funding available is $43,000
Eligibility Criteria
- Non-profit organizations, private organizations, schools, churches, community groups, state and county agencies. All awardees must be in compliance with State Government requirements and provide Hawai‘i Compliance Express certification.
- All islands of Hawai‘i are encouraged to apply.
- Projects must be accessible to the public (i.e. trees cannot be planted on inaccessible private land; programs and events must be open to all).
For more information, visit https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/forestry/lap/kaulunani/
