N.C. Forest Service - Urban and Community Forestry Funding Programs and Opportunities

In 2025, Congress allocated natural disaster and recovery supplemental funding for 2022, 2023 and 2024 events under the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978, Public Law 95-313, as amended (16 U.S.C 2101 et seq.) and Public Law 118-158 American Relief Act, 2025. We applied for and received $2.4 million in funding approval from the USDA Forest Service for urban and community forestry projects for municipalities impacted by Hurricane Helene. The work needs to be completed by the end of June 2030.

The funding program will assist tribal governments or municipalities located in Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Caldwell, Henderson, Madison, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania or Yancey counties. It may also be extended outside these counties. Eligible projects for funding assistance include tree inventories and assessments, management plans, tree maintenance and tree planting. The total cost of purchased goods and services is reimbursable.

Every year, Congress provides federal support to states for urban and community forestry through the USDA Farm Bill and authorized by the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-313) as amended. The amount of funding each state receives is contingent on the federal budget and an allocation matrix based on state population and performance history.

The NCFS applies for and receives U&CF funding from this federal program each year. The monies fund NCFS U&CF staff and operating expenses, the N.C. Urban Forest Council, and include funding for grants to communities to fund U&CF projects. From 2010 through 2020, $1.6 million in financial assistance was provided to communities to fund 142 projects.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), provides the U.S. Forest Service with resources to reduce the risk of wildland fire, restore ecosystems and invest in natural resources related to infrastructure. The BIL provides approximately $5.5 billion for the U.S. Forest Service to work at larger scales with federal, tribal, state and local government partners, as well as all members of the public, to restore ecosystems and reduce wildfire risk to communities. The BIL also provides important tools to support agency efforts in establishing resilient landscapes for future climate conditions. The intention of BIL funding is to produce actions on the ground and in communities.

A portion of the U.S. Forest Service, state and private forestry BIL funding is to be granted to states to implement priorities in their state forest action plans. Program authorities included in state forest action plan implementation funding are Forest Stewardship and Rural Forestry Assistance, Forest Health Management, Urban and Community Forestry and State Fire Assistance. FY22 allocations as requested by the states in conjunction with the Southern Group of State Foresters (SGSF), National Association of State Foresters (NASF) and the U.S. Forest Service Washington Office were distributed in early FY23.

The NCFS U&CF program applies for and has received funding from this program to fund U&CF projects. Monies received through this program have funded sample tree inventories, tree canopy cover assessments, and development and maintenance of the North Carolina Urban and Community Forestry Cloud.