Forest Service Rescinds Tree Planting Grants

A $75 million federal tree planting grant is one of the many victims of recent cuts to federal funding, according to an article from the Associated Press.

The grant was to be awarded to the Arbor Day Foundation by the U.S. Forest Service and would have funded tree planting programs in 105 low-income communities with historically sparse tree canopies around the country. Organizations were counting on the money to fund tree planting equipment, maintenance staff, outreach efforts, cleanups of dead trees to avoid fire hazards, and more.

The article points out that trees have benefits that go well beyond shade, which is becoming a lifesaving resource in the era of more frequent extreme heat waves. Trees cool and clean the surrounding air, capture stormwater, and replenish groundwater.

The Forest Service attributed the program’s termination to recent efforts to eliminate “diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and activities.”