We would like to extend our gratitude to all the applicants who showed their interest in our 2023 Community Forestry Assistance Grant. The response to this year’s short grant cycle has been tremendous, and our DNR Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) team is thrilled to announce that 13 exceptional projects have been selected to receive funding this cycle.
The caliber of grant candidates this year was strong as we received 35 applications requesting a total of $973,000. We will award all of the $350,000 that was available this year – which happens to be the second-largest amount offered by UCF for a single grant cycle. The funding will aid a diverse array of initiatives such as tree planting, landscape restoration, community outreach, workforce development, policy development, tree inventory, and management planning.
We are proud to reveal that ten of the projects selected for funding will benefit highly impacted communities. These are the census blocks that score an eight or more on the Washington Environmental Health Disparities Map. We are grateful to allocate resources to these deserving projects. Below is a table that provides a summary of all the award selections. We look forward to seeing these projects come to fruition and make a positive impact on Washington’s urban and community forestry landscape over the next year.
| Applicant | Project Title | Project Location (City) | Grant Funds Requested | Match Funds Provided |
| New Start Community Garden | Urban Orchard Education | Burien | $11,700 | $17,300 |
| City of Yakima | City of Yakima Urban Forest Management Plan | Yakima | $20,000 | $10,000 |
| Partner in Employment | Youth Restoration Training Crew | Tukwila | $40,000 | $26,804 |
| The Lands Council | SpoCanopy: Shading Spokane | Spokane | $40,000 | $26,500 |
| Tacoma Tree Foundation | Green Blocks Parkland | Parkland | $40,000 | $30,580 |
| Clover Park Technical College Foundation | Teaching Native Plant Habitat Restoration | Lakewood | $18,900 | $19,250 |
| King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks | Enhancing King County Tree Policies | King County | $40,000 | $44,000 |
| City of Tacoma – Planning and Development Services | Tacoma Trees and Development Standards | Tacoma | $40,000 | $40,000 |
| City of Tumwater | Tumwater Public Urban Forest Inventory | Tumwater | $40,000 | $23,944 |
| City of Ellensburg | Street Tree Re-Inventory & UTC Assessment | Ellensburg | $40,000 | $36,144 |
| City of Mountlake Terrace | Trees for Terrace Tree Planting | Mountlake Terrace | $29,500 | $29,500 |
| City of Port Angeles | Port Angeles Forest Renewal Pilots | Port Angeles | $26,500 | $26,537 |
| City of Pateros | Warren Pedestrian Safety Project | Pateros | $14,828 | $14,828 |
Urban and community Forestry in Washington State 