Last year, the USDA Forest Service announced a 1 billion dollar investment in trees and green space projects around the country, via Urban and Community Forestry Grants. The grants were made possible through funding from the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act. This historic investment supports 385 projects across all 50 states and DC, and several U.S. territories and Tribal Nations.
More than $37 million will be awarded to organizations for projects in the DC area. This includes grant awards to our friends at Chesapeake Bay Trust, the Chesapeake Conservancy, Nature Forward, the City of Fairfax, Defensores de la Cuenca, and Baltimore Tree Trust, among others. Casey Trees will receive $9.1 million that will be dispersed over a five-year period.
Knowing there wasn’t a moment to spare, Casey Trees quickly started planning to get shovels in the ground. We’re happy to announce that since being awarded this opportunity in September – we’ve already been able to plant 228 trees across the DMV within various communities in need of trees. And that’s not all, we still have 1,000 more that are scheduled to be planted by the end of June 2025 as part of the initiative! Over the next five years we’ll be working to plant 10,000 trees through this grant, the impact of each tree will leave long-lasting legacies spanning generations to come.
“It’s already giving us shade!” A student proclaimed at a recent School Tree Planting. Within seconds of going into the ground, students at Brightwood Elementary were able to visibly see and feel the difference that a tree canopy makes. Imagine 5, 10, or 15 years from now – just how much shade that same tree will be providing! Thanks to this grant, we’re able to expand our reach to schools, parks, and other greenspaces in Maryland and Virginia – providing individuals with cool outdoor spaces and environmental experiences to carry with them forever.
We are so grateful that we get to make an even greater impact than we ever imagined, and none of it would be possible without the support and dedication of the passionate environmentalists who have made Casey Trees everything it is today. Thank you to all our supporters, partners, and friends; Here’s to more trees!
