Urban and Community Forestry Grants
Forecasted
Urban and Community Forestry Grants support local agencies and nonprofits with urban forestry and green schoolyard projects that expand equitable access to trees, shade, and outdoor learning spaces.
Funder: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Due Dates (Anticipated): May 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: $30.8 million for California IRA grant projects; Green Schoolyards indirect costs capped at 12%
Summary: Supports sustainable urban forests, tree care, and green schoolyards that expand equitable access to trees and their benefits.
Key Information: Aliso Canyon campus applications must document service to disadvantaged communities or in-need educational facilities.
Description
CAL FIRE’s Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program supports projects that create sustainable urban forests and increase the long-term benefits trees provide. Its goals include improving public understanding and appreciation of urban trees and advancing urban forest management and tree care. Projects serving disadvantaged or low-income communities receive special consideration.
The program includes Aliso Canyon Green Schoolyards, Green Schoolyards opportunities for nonprofit childcare facilities, and California Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding. Green Schoolyards projects create shade, outdoor learning environments, and green spaces for students in communities with limited green space and canopy cover. California IRA funding supports community, regional, and statewide projects that help urban communities gain equitable access to trees and their benefits, as part of the U.S. Forest Service’s IRA investment under the Justice40 Initiative and Executive Order 13985.
