WASHINGTON, Oct. 28, 2009 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the selection of $900,000 in Federal Urban and Community Forestry cost-share grants to ten organizations funded through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service. The funds will be matched by recipient organizations.

"Today, over eighty percent of the population lives in urban settings and our challenge is to reconnect urban and suburban Americans with forests where they live and focus on the many environmental, economic and social benefits that forests provide," said Vilsack. "These grants demonstrate how the USDA continually serves all Americans everyday, everyway."

The grant proposals address how urban and community trees and forests assist communities with issues such as climate change, energy conservation, and improved public health and well-being.

Recipients of the 2009 cost-share grants were selected in a competitive process based on criteria developed by the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC). NUCFAC reviewed the proposals and made its recommendations to the USDA Forest Service, which awards the grants.

The ten recipients and projects are:

City of New York, Department of Parks and Recreation. The Urban Forest, Childhood Asthma and Community Air Quality

USDA Awarded: $267,283 matched with $375,581 = $642,864.

King County, WA. Community Forestry CPR – Climate Preparedness and Response.

USDA Awarded: $135,229 matched with $135,299 = $270,458.

North Carolina State University. Understanding Urban and Community Forests Contributions to Physical Activity and Health.

USDA Awarded: $148,752 matched with $148,752 = 297,505.

The Davey Resource Group. Homeowner Association Urban Forest Tree Stewardship.

USDA Awarded: $50,000 matched with $50,000 = $100,000.

Oregon Department of Forestry. Tree Board University: Online Training for Cultivating Urban Forestry Support.

USDA Awarded: $49,261 matched with $73,428 = $122,689.

University of Washington. Green Cities for Good Health: Sharing the Science About Human Health and Well-Being.

USDA Awarded: $50,000 matched with $50,245 = $100,000.

Friends of Hawaii's Urban Forest. Urban Forestry Emergency Operations Plan Template for Storm Response.

USDA Awarded: $50,000 matched with $50,000 = $100,000.

University of Vermont. Best Practices and Tools for an Urban Forest Invasives Citizen Monitoring Program.

USDA Awarded: $49,755 matched with $49,755 = $99,510.

Society of Municipal Arborists. Best Management Practices for Integrating Urban Forestry.

USDA Awarded: $50,000 matched with $50,000 = $100,000.

University of Virginia. Developing and Nurturing Professional Leadership Networks for Urban Forestry Practitioners.

USDA Awarded: $49,720 matched with $65,798 = $115,518.

The National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council was established in the 1990 Farm Bill. Since then, the USDA Forest Service has funded 185 competitive cost-share projects recommended by NUCFAC. The 15-member council advises the Secretary on the care and management of trees, forests and related natural resources in urban and community settings. NUCFAC members include representatives from communities, universities, non-profit forestry and conservation citizen organizations, landscape and design consultants, the forest product or nursery industry, professional renewable natural resource organizations, and USDA. Members of NUCFAC serve without compensation. More info: www.fs.fed.us/ucf/nucfac.html .

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