New York communities have a new funding opportunity to map, measure and manage their urban tree canopy. Governor Kathy Hochul announced $10 million in grants for urban and community forestry inventory and assessment projects through the State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Who can apply
The grant program is open to municipalities, nonprofit organizations, Indian Nations and Tribes, and community-based organizations. The state says there is no match requirement, with applications ranging from $50,000 to $2.5 million.
Eligible work includes street tree inventories, landscaped park tree assessments, forested natural area assessments and management plans based on inventory data. This round also includes projects using terrestrial LiDAR, a technology that can create detailed 3D records of trees and public landscapes.
Why this is more than a tree count
Tree inventories help communities understand where shade is missing, where aging trees create maintenance risk, where stormwater benefits can improve and where future planting should be targeted. For city managers and local executives, better data can turn tree programs into infrastructure planning rather than guesswork.
The Governor’s Office says New York has committed more than $116.5 million to tree and forest-related projects since 2021. This grant round also supports the state’s goal of planting 25 million trees by 2033.
Deadlines
DEC will host an informational webinar on June 2, 2026. Applications are due by 2:00 p.m. on August 12, 2026 through the Statewide Financial System.
Source: Governor Kathy Hochul, May 15, 2026. Read the official release.