Urban and Community Forestry Financial Assistance Program
The primary objective of the North Carolina Urban and Community Forestry (U&CF) Program is to assist municipalities with reaching a level of sustainable U&CF management that matches their goals and capacity. In addition, through this process and the completion of urban and community forestry practices and activities, we will enhance the quality of living in our communities. We define urban and community forestry as follows:
- Urban forestry is defined as the management of the planting, maintenance and protection of tree populations in urban settings to enhance the economic and ecosystem services trees provide to the community.
- Community forestry is a branch of forestry that engages the community in the completion of urban forestry practices in support of local government, serves broader community needs and works for positive change.
When municipalities and partners, including community organizations and other stakeholders, accomplish urban and community forestry practices and activities in an ordered manner, they enhance the level of management in the community, leading to long term program success.
We use the accomplishment of six specific standards to measure and classify the development status of a community’s U&CF program into one of four management classifications (See the NCFS U&CF Management Classifications chart below). This helps a community measure its progress, celebrate accomplishments, and allows us to best serve each community’s individual needs.
The accomplishment of an individual urban and community forestry practice or activity may not directly contribute to elevating a municipality’s management classification, however that does not diminish the value of its completion in furthering urban and community forestry goals and objectives.
The Urban and Community Forestry Project Financial Assistance Program is designed to help communities climb this sustainable management hierarchy and enhance the quality of living in the community. The program accomplishes this by providing financial assistance and expertise in the development and completion of U&CF projects comprised of urban and community forestry practices and activities. A Request for Applications (RFA) process is offered several times a year to help you plan and apply for these assistance opportunities.
Who is Eligible to Apply?
- Governing agencies
- Municipalities
- Public schools, colleges and universities
- Tribal governments
- Incorporated HOAs
- 501c3 not-for-profit organizations
Prerequisites for all applications
- All applicants must have a federal Unique Entity ID # obtained through the sam.gov (Get a Unique Entity ID Only) website portal.
- Projects must take place within the boundaries of a municipality or tribal lands.
- Advisory Committee – A new or established advisory committee comprised of community citizens, municipal government staff and stakeholder organizations must be engaged in the completion of the project.
- Contact your N.C. Forest Service county ranger and inform he/she you are submitting an application.
- Completed urban forestry practices must utilize and adhere to the most current versions of the American National Standards Institute A300, Z60.1 Standards & International Society of Arboriculture Best Management Practices.
- Project contributors providing professional services to complete work must be adequately credentialed for tasks/role on the project.
- Urban Forestry Practices Minimum Qualifications
- A degree in urban forestry or a closely related field (e.g., forestry, arboriculture, horticulture),
- International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist, American Society of Consulting Arborists Registered Arborist, Society of American Foresters Certified Forester, or equivalent State or professional credential, and/or
- At least 3 years of experience practicing arboriculture or urban forestry according to industry standards and urban forestry best management practices.
Program Structure
U&CF Project and Application
Eligible organizations develop an urban and community forestry project utilizing our U&CF Financial Assistance Practices and Activities and Project Planning webpage and resources. Then, apply for assistance during one of our Request for Applications (RFA) offerings.
Eligible Practices, Activities and Supplies
Eligible practices and activities are grouped into the categories below. The Practices and Activities and Project Planning webpage provides definitions, prerequisites and assistance for developing a project and application.
- Administration and Staffing
- Community Forestry Activities
- Advocacy group development
- Community forestry plans
- Education and outreach events
- Media products and campaigns
- Stakeholder surveys
- Volunteer stewardship programs
- Workforce Development
- Urban Forestry Practices
- Ordinance and policy development
- Tree inventories and assessments
- Tree planting and maintenance
- Urban forest practice plans
- Urban forest management plans
- Special Projects – creative or broad impact project ideas outside the above categories will be considered and are encouraged to apply.
Ineligible Practices and Activities
Project Completion Agreement
Awardees will enter a project completion agreement/contract with the N.C. Forest Service or partner to complete the work for an agreed duration and will be reimbursed for approved expenses unless otherwise specified in the agreement. For the majority of our programs, there are two agreement structures: cost share and match share.
Cost Share
Eligible organizations include all entities listed above in the Who is Eligible to Apply section.
- The awardee pays a service provider to complete the services.
- The awardee will be reimbursed the percentage cost share, for example 50%, offered by the specific Request for Applications.
- Only purchased goods and services related to completion are eligible for reimbursement.
- An awardee’s contribution may not come from another federal grant funding program.
Match Share
Eligibility -- Disadvantaged communities and 501c3 not-for-profit organizations.
- A match share structure allows for direct in-kind contributions instead of monetary contributions for managing and completing the project.
- Examples of direct in-kind contributions include dollar value of employee time, volunteer time and donated goods or services.
- Disadvantaged Communities Definitions
- A tribal government or governing agency located within a N.C. Department of Commerce Tier 1 Distressed County.
- Governing agencies that straddle a Tier 1 County.
- 501c3 not-for-profit organizations.
- Project in its entirety, occurs within a disadvantaged census track as defined by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool.
Funding Programs
The N.C. Forest Service receives funding from various sources, and each has its own set of requirements, restrictions and activities that can be funded. N.C. Forest Service RFAs will detail all the information needed to apply for the funding program being offered. There are also urban and community forestry funding opportunities offered by other organizations. Visit our U&CF Funding Opportunities page for information about our funding programs and other opportunities.
How and When do I apply?
Design Your Project
To successfully complete a project, and to apply for assistance, you will need to complete a project planning process. The planning process will result in seven outcomes: the project goal, project objective(s), duration, project team, scope of work, schedule and description, and a budget. Visit our U&CF Financial Assistance Practices and Activities and Project Planning webpage for guidance.
Request for Applications
Requests for Applications will be advertised as well as posted in the right column of this page. Use these links to learn program specific information and to access the electronic application.
There will be regularly scheduled offerings Jan. 1 and July 1 each year, however there may be additional special offerings between these dates. Stay connected. Sign up to receive the latest U&CF Project Financial Assistance Program news and updates from the N.C. Forest Service.
Review and Award
At the end of each application period, applications will be divided into disadvantaged community and non-disadvantaged community categories. They will be reviewed for completion and prerequisite requirements. Incomplete or applications failing to meet prerequisites will be disqualified. Within each respective Request for Application and application category, acceptable applications will be scored and ranked based on the following general criteria:
- Technical merit of the project and application.
- Completion of the practice/activity achieves the municipality’s next standard of the NCFS U&CF Management Classification.
- Practice/Activity builds upon a previously accomplished U&CF project.
- Applicant is a current Tree City USA, Tree Campus Higher Education or Tree Campus K-12.
- Project start date – Practice or activity can begin soon after award.
- Serves a Disadvantaged Census Tract (Non-Disadvantaged Community Application Group).
- Serves a Disadvantaged Community (Non-Disadvantaged Community Application Group).
Applications will be awarded by rank, highest to lowest, until funding is exhausted.