Cost-Share Funding for Tree-Planting Projects Around the World

Posted by on July 04, 2011

American Forests Offers Cost-Share Funding for Tree-Planting Projects Around the World
Deadline: July 1, 2011 and January 15, annually

Founded in 1875, Washington, D.C.-headquartered American Forests is the nation’s oldest nonprofit conservation organization. American Forests works with individuals, communities, and policy makers to protect and restore forests around the world and raise awareness of how important these ecosystems are to all forms of life.

Through its Global ReLeaf Forests ecosystem restoration program, American Forests seeks to fund projects that use tree planting to restore sites that have been damaged by natural or human causes. The organization is particularly interested in partnering with private- and public-sector organizations and agencies to support tree-planting projects that would otherwise not be feasible for lack of funding. Since its launch in 1990, the program has planted 33 million trees and has set a goal to bring that total to 100 million by the year 2020.

To be considered for Global ReLeaf funding, projects must meet the following criteria: project is on land owned by a government entity or on publicly accessible private land meeting special criteria; plantable area is, or has the potential to be, at least twenty acres in size; forest ecosystem has been damaged by wildfire, hurricanes, tornadoes, insects, diseases, human activities, or other causes; and funds for planting the area are not available from regular programs or sources.

Cost-share Global ReLeaf Forest grants cover costs generally associated with the planting of seedlings (i.e. site preparation, seedling purchase, contracting, transportation, shelters, etc). American Forests raises $1 per tree from private sources. Successful project proposals will leverage local support resulting in a lower cost per tree and maximizing the number of trees planted for the funds available.

In addition to the work of the Global ReLeaf Forests program, the American Forests’ Global ReLeaf Fund provides small cost-share grants to leverage community resources for tree-planting projects in urban areas, increasing a city’s tree canopy in an effort to shade, cool, and beautify urban neighborhoods, while sequestering carbon to help mitigate climate change. The Global ReLeaf Fund supports tree-planting projects including streamside forest buffers, street trees, and open space plantings.

For complete program guidelines, information on previously funded projects, and the application, visit the American Forests Web site.

http://www.americanforests.org/global_releaf/grants/