2026 Protect Community Forests for Community Resiliency Grant

Are Applicants able to request both operational volunteering planting assistance through Tree Trust and educational assistance through the University of Minnesota’s Tree Steward program?

Yes! Both operational and educational assistance can be requested.

Another component of the University of Minnesota’ Tree Steward Training program is that volunteers are required to complete at least 10 hours of volunteerism or attend three pruning events each year to keep their tree steward certification current. Do volunteer Tree Stewards also need to submit this information to the DNR as part of the grant?

You will not need to provide this information both to the U of M and to us. It will be reported to the U of M as is standard practice, and they will then be able to forward that information on to us.

To my knowledge, there is a minimum number of residents that must be committed to receiving Tree Steward training before the University of Minnesota will agree to provide training to community members. I am assuming that this requirement is still true if we request to receive educational assistance through this program as part of the Protecting Community Forests Grant?

If you are selected to receive educational assistance, there will be no minimum number of residents required to participate. Ultimately, we want the U of M to use their funds wisely and if you only have one or two people signed up they would likely work with you to do some more recruitment, or combine regional trainings. If in the end you only get one or two individuals to participate, they will still provide the program to you.

Would receiving operational assistance through Tree Trust as described in the grant be different than hiring tree trust to provide services as contractor?

Yes, receiving assistance through Tree Trust is different than hiring Tree Trust to provide services as a contractor. The Landscape Services side of Tree Trust is their earned income division, which provides tree and lawn care services.

Would any work done by a contractor be considered technical assistance? The RFA states that cities “will not have to budget (pay) for technical assistance” if we want to receive operational assistance through Tree Trust in partnership with the conservation corps or education assistance from the University of Minnesota to train community members to become tree stewards. From my understanding, there are typically costs associated with receiving assistance through either of these organizations. Do recipients of the grant automatically get these costs waived due to a partnership with the DNR or would communities be reimbursed through the grant for any costs associated with assistance provided by either of these organizations?

While you could consider work done by a contractor to be assistance, per se, the separate ‘technical assistance’ component of this grant program is limited to Tree Trust and/or the University of Minnesota’s Tree Steward program. These organizations were included in our original application for funding for this overall program, and so we have budgeted separate amounts above and beyond what we will grant out to local units of government. These separate amounts of funding will allow Tree Trust and the Tree Steward program to do work with grantees who request their assistance, with funds going straight to Tree Trust and/or the University of Minnesota. As mentioned in the Request for Applications, if you are applying for assistance with tree planting, you will still need to budget for the purchase of trees. Costs for the assistance itself, however, will not need to be budgeted for by grantees.

What do we report to the U of M for Tree Steward Hours? What format does it need to be in?

You can find more information at the Tree Stewards Program website.

Eligible activities

For this grant, are we required to include removals and replacements, or is it possible to use funds solely for new tree plantings for diversity?

It is possible to use funds solely for tree planting. You can select “Tree Planting for Diversity” as your sole proposed project component within the Qualtrics Survey.

As an SWCD, we want to partner with another local unit of government and/or organization, is this possible?

Yes, you can partner with other organizations for your proposed project. You must submit a letter of support from the organization you plan to partner with. A letter of support from any identified partner organization(s) should acknowledge and agree to the specific role(s) and activities attributed to the partner organization in the grant application.

The list of eligible activities explicitly mentions work on residential land for low-income residents only in bullet #1. Are any of the other activities in the list also possible for low-income residential residents to participate or have related work completed? (Specifically removing and replacing ash/high risk trees, planting trees for diversity, chemical treatment, and pruning)

Community forestry work on residential lands for low-income residents can include any combination of the other eligible activities listed on the website and in the Request for Applications. For example, tree planting, tree removals and replanting, and pruning. All activities on residential land must be conducted by companies or organizations with an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist on staff, Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) accreditation, or equivalent qualification.

Can the city apply to help residents with residential removals and replacements? After looking at the resources for small communities and the maps that were available, our town does not seem to show that we have a significant low-income population. Also we do have a significant amount of ash trees that are a problem but we are not technically in an area that has been affected.

Yes, the city can apply to provide residential tree care. The maps and resources provided in the underserved communities resource list are just optional tools to identify areas if you are unsure where to start but they are not the only means to determine low income capacity or work areas for the grant. All applicants can determine their own definition of low income as long as it is clear how you arrived at this definition and how you will uphold that low-income threshold during the grant period. For example, many communities chose to use a percentage (such as 50% or 80%) of their Area Median Income or AMI to determine low-income thresholds. Though you can define it differently, so long as there is a clear income-related threshold and it is justified in the application. Regardless of whether EAB is present in your community per the MDA map, you are eligible to apply for funding as long as you meet the minimum requirements outlined in the Request for applications.

Can we apply for a smaller grant, around $50,000 to hire a contractor to cut down some ash trees to help out our Parks Dept. Forestry crew keep up with poor condition or declining Ash trees?

Yes, you can apply for a smaller grant, as there is no minimum amount you can request. Additionally, all the activities listed (contractor costs, ash tree removal) are eligible under this grant. Tree removals from boulevards and parks, must be replaced at least one-for-one (i.e., at least one tree planted for every tree removed), and trees must be replanted at the same location of the removal whenever possible and feasible, or received approval from a DNR grant administrator in advance of planting.

Can we apply for grant money to help individual homeowners defer the cost of removing their private trees? For example, Homeowner applies to city for $1,000 to help pay for cost to remove a $2,400 Ash tree in their back yard. Helping them reduce the expense, if they qualify for a low-income property based on tax statements, etc.

This is technically an eligible expense; however, we do not encourage reimbursement to homeowners directly as the reimbursement is considered taxable income and can create an additional barrier to participation in removal/replanting programs. Grantees typically identify low-income private property removals/planting sites and have a contractor conduct the work. The city would then pay the contractor and be reimbursed by DNR.

I understand “chemical treatment with injectable non-neonicotinoid insecticide” to be an eligible project under this grant program, while “experimental practices not approved by DNR” is an ineligible project. Where would a biological treatment of EAB fall along the scale of eligible projects? Either way, we would like to establish some kind of EAB management plan, potentially using these grant dollars if we were awarded any funding, but I’m curious if the application of this biological solution could end up being the primary maintenance activity within an EAB management plan, for example, or if this is too experimental where the DNR might deem it ineligible.

Unfortunately, at this point biocontrol methods are still categorized as experimental and ineligible due to the lack of field testing and research available. A management plan is an eligible expense and we would still allow the cost for the management plan if you incorporate biocontrol as a management tactic into the plan. We would not allow any expenses directly associated with biocontrol efforts like purchase of products, contracting, etc. to actually apply biocontrol.

What is considered a high-risk unsafe tree?

A high-risk unsafe tree is considered a tree that poses a public safety risk. For example, a dead tree in a high traffic park. These trees can be any species.

What sort of tree protection is allowed?

Tree protection that we typically see, and allow, are watering bags, cages, wraps, and donuts. If you are not sure if the tree protection you want to use is eligible, reach out to [email protected]

Is planting an orchard allowed under this grant?

Yes, purchasing and planting fruit trees using this grant funding is eligible, but may be scored lower than other projects removing and replacing ash. To maximize your application score, review the rubric at the end of the RFA before submitting your application.

If our organization has an agreement with MNDOT to do tree maintenance along state highways, would we be able to use the grant for this effort?

No, work on state land is not eligible under this grant. Only work on non-state public and low-income residential lands is eligible.

For tribal lands owned and managed by the Tribal government, does that qualify as public lands?

Yes, lands owned and managed by Tribal entities qualify as public lands for the purposes of this grant.

For underplanting in black ash swamps, is it limited to within 10 miles within the EAB infestation areas?

No, planting is not restricted to within the 10 mile buffer.

Is work done on county land eligible?

Yes, that would be considered public lands and eligible.

We want to have ongoing outreach and education sessions with the public. Are those eligible expenses? For example renting a meeting space, printing of materials, etc?

Yes, all of those would be eligible expenses. The only thing that wouldn’t be eligible is food and beverage costs for events.

How strict is the 10 mile buffer for EAB infestations on whether we can use funds for treatment?

It is based on a GIS buffer and you do need to be within that buffered area to utilize funding for treatment of ash. If you are outside of it now but close to the edge, you may consider adding language into your application about “if grant funds are left over during the grant period and EAB finds occur during the grant period, we would like to utilize left over funding for EAB treatment”.

Does $4,999 just unit cost or does that include taxes?

It includes everything. No one unit can cost more than $4,999 in total.

Would a subsidized tree giveaway be an eligible expense?

Yes, this would fall under the low income residential work and you would need to follow the Residential Assistance Requirements outlined in the Request for Applications.

Can we plant smaller whips less than 3/4” caliper?

No, we have restrictions on stock size as we’ve found the allowable stock size to perform the best in urban and community forestry settings for long term establishment. Smaller stock is typically not allowed as it does not have as high of survival rates.

Can we plant species that are not typically in their native range for our part of the state such as river birch?

Yes, you are able to plant climate adapted species as long as they are not on the Noxious Weed List or Terrestrial Invasive Species List as noted in the RFA.

Sugar bushing is a really important aspect of our community. As ash wetlands die out and flood our adjacent maple stands, we are worried about the community forestry impacts on sugar bushing. Are we able to do wetlands underplanting to prevent flooding following ash mortality?

Yes, as long as you are following the species and stock requirements you may conduct under plantings on public lands for these purposes.

What is the maximum administrative time allowed?

Staff time for local units of government, Tribal Governments, and schools are not allowed. For nonprofit organizations, there are no specific percentage limits.

Is there a minimum number of different tree species your program would like to see for replacing the removed trees?  We have read the guidance, but it did not mention a specific amount required.  We are planning for 7 species that would meet the replanting guidance.

There is no minimum amount of tree species you must plant as a part of your project. All trees must meet the size requirements and general species composition for your community (20-10-5) as outlined in the Request for Applications.

What if trees are removed before grants approved and work starts and there are funds remaining?  Would we be able to use those funds for other eligible activities?

Any high-risk trees removed before the contract is executed will not be eligible for reimbursement. Adjustments like this during the grant period are typically addressed on a case-by-case basis, so communicate these situations with your assigned DNR Grant Administrator as soon as possible.

Is staff time an eligible for this grant?

Yes and no. Staff time is ONLY eligible for non-profits. For all other organizations (e.g., local units of government) staff time is ineligible.

How can funding be utilized if awarded? Does the funding need to be specific only to tree planting, developing a tree inventory or towards an EAB management plan? Or can the funding be used for two items?

The funding can be used towards as many of the eligible activities as you want, so long as the budget it realistic, cost-effective, and no more than $150,000 (the max award for this grant). Eligible activities and expenses and listed in the request for applications. All applicants are strongly encourage to review the scoring rubric to see how each response will rescored.

Are we able to combine different projects into one grant application, or should we split them into three different applications from the same organization?

Each organization should submit one grant application regardless of the number of activities proposed.

I work for a SWCD – is staff time for administering this grant on behalf of another entity eligible?

Professional contracts for technical assistance, resident education and engagement, or project implementation by individuals or organizations not part of a local unit of government are eligible. So, technically, consulting staff time is an eligible expense; however, because SWCDs are a local unit of government you would not be able to charge staff time for administering this grant on behalf of another entity.

Eligible applicants

Are SWCDs (Soil and Water Conservation Districts) eligible to apply for this grant opportunity?

Yes, SWCDs are considered local units of government and are eligible to apply for funding under this grant. A full list of eligible applicants can be found further up on this webpage and in the Request for Applications (RFA).

I own five acres and am interested in the community grant for tree planting. We are working with a local nonprofit with the community garden program on site. I'd like to apply for this grant, but would like to know if we qualify.

Eligible applicants for this grant include nonprofit organizations with a 501(c) status. Applications from individual residents will not be considered. Community forestry work must be conducted on non-State public land, or on residential land for low-income residents. A full list of eligible applicants and activities can be found further up on this webpage and in the Request for Applications (RFA).

Are HOAs eligible for funding?

Eligible applicants for this grant include nonprofit organizations with 501(c) status. If your HOA has 501(c) status, then you would be eligible to apply.

If we currently have an open grant with your program (e.g., ReLeaf, Community Tree Planting, etc.), do we still qualify for this one?

Yes! Any eligible applicants may apply for this funding opportunity. This includes communities and organizations that have an open grant with our program.

We have some dead ash on our property, are we eligible to apply?

We do not provide funding directly to individual residents for tree removal or care, but residents should reach out to their community leaders to apply for funding, as communities can create programs that assist residents with the removal and replanting of trees.

How is “low-income” defined and what should be the basis used (AQI and household income, enrollment in assistance programs, other?) for determining status eligibility? To confirm, this means that any residential activities must meet this income criteria and cannot be a general program available to any household regardless of income in the community?

The definition of low-income is determined and defined by the applicant in the grant application. Many applicants use Annual Median Income (AMI) as their threshold. Though you can define it differently, so long as there is a clear income-related threshold and it is justified in the application.

Events, such as a tree planting event on public land or EAB related outreach can be open to all residents. However, work happening on residential lands such as providing residents a tree to plant on their property or having a contractor plant trees on residential properties must be limited to low-income residents only. Examples of work on low-income residential land can be found here: Minnesota Residential Tree Removal and Care Assistance.

Are community colleges eligible to apply?

Though schools are eligible to apply under this grant, many higher education institutions in the state are a part of the MNSCU system, meaning that campuses are technically state land, which is not eligible under this grant. As a school, you can still apply to conduct educational activities in surrounding neighborhoods, but you would not be allowed to remove/plant/etc. on campus.

We are a small community with low-capacity and limited forestry knowledge, can we still apply?

Yes, you may apply for this grant. Given that the community is small, you may want to consider hiring a consultant as a part of this grant to assist with forestry related tasks. Your local Soil & Water Conservation District can also be a good resource. The League of Minnesota Cities also offers a small grant to assist with grant writing.

We just found EAB on our property on our military facility. Grant sources vary in whether they consider our property state or federal. Would we be eligible to apply?

This would be considered state land and therefore ineligible for grant activities.

Our organization is an electric distribution cooperative, registered as a 501(c)12 organization. Would we be an eligible organization that can apply for this grant?

Yes, non-profit organizations with 501(c) status are eligible to apply for this grant funding.

Do we have to be a Tree City to apply for this funding?

No, your community does not have to be a Tree City USA to apply for this funding, as this is a separate program administered through the Arbor Day Foundation.

Application

Where can the Residential Tree Care Requirements be viewed?

The Residential Tree Care Requirements are detailed in the 2026 Protect Request for Applications, which will be available on August 3rd.

I have not applied to a MN DNR Urban & Community Forestry Grant before, what will the application look like.

The application and application details will be available on this webpage on August 3rd. The required information will look similar to, but not exactly the same as, our previous grants.

Does my local unit of government need to have an EAB management plan in order to apply for this grant?

Local units of government must already have an Emerald Ash Borer Management Plan in place OR they can budget the creation of a management plan into their grant proposal. We strongly recommend that all plans start with some sort of inventory (e.g., inventory of ash in parks). The most common way applicants do this is to hire a qualified arborist or consultant to do an inventory and write the plan and include the quote from that into their budget proposal.

I'm looking through the requirements for the 2026 Protect Community Forests for Community Resiliency Grant, and don't see any information on how to develop the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Management Plan, or who to contact about contracting that out. Any help would be great.

We do not have specific guidance on how to develop and Emerald Ash Borer Management Plan, though many communities post them publicly on their websites. You can also find an example plan through the Minnesota Shade Tree Advisory Committee (MNSTAC) website.

At minimum we recommend that the management plan is informed by a tree inventory (e.g., survey of ash trees in city parks). As you mentioned, many communities contract out this work. As a state agency, we cannot recommend any specific organizations or companies. You may be able to find some resources on treesaregood.org, in addition to the MNSTAC resource page, linked above.

What is the 20-10-5 rule? Does this apply to public or private trees?

The 20-10-5 rules states that a community’s tree canopy should be comprised of trees with no more than 20% in a single family, 10% in a single genus, and 5% of a single species. Implementing this through our grants helps to increase canopy diversity.

TheRapid Assessment Community Tree Viewer, the data we use to determine this, covers only public trees. If your community has a recent inventory (less than 10 years) covering at least public trees that you would prefer to use, please let us know.

What is considered a shrub in the context of this grant?

For something to be considered a tree it must be 10-12 feet in height at maturity. For example, elderberry would not be considered a tree.

How does the removal of Ash trees impact/relate to underserved populations?

Underserved populations are typically characterized through economic, social, environmental, and educational inequities, among other things. As a result, these populations are often disproportionately impacted by Emerald Ash Borer. Examples include, high-value trees removed in neighborhoods that already have low tree canopy and financial restrictions to removing dangerous dead ash.

There is a list of species in the RFA that we cannot plant (e.g., tree of heaven). Does this include Japanese Tree Lilac?

Technically, you can plant Japanese Tree Lilac with this funding, though it is not recommended as it has been found to be an aggressive spreader, particularly in woodland settings.

The application (and Pre-Award Risk Assessment Questionnaire, if applicable) asks about an annual forestry budget. What does that consist of? What is it used for?

Your annual forestry budget and associated documentation can likely be pulled from the city clerk. It is used to assess the capacity of an organization to administer the grant funds that they have requested.

My organization is a state educational institution, are we eligible to apply?

Funding for this grant can only be used for activities on non-state public land or low-income residential land. As a state institution you would could not conduct work on your property, as it is state owned land.

I don’t know if our organization has audited financial statements or when they have been done. Does this all need to be completed with the application?

Yes, all pre-award risk assessment documents (if requesting $50,000 or more and not an exempt organization) need to be submitted along with your application by the application deadline.

What if you have job approval authority through NRCS and BWSR? Would that count towards ISA certification/TCIA accreditation?

Please submit any equivalent qualifications along with your application and we will consider them.

If we have grants with other state agencies do we need to fill out the grant close out form?

No, the grant close out form question is specific to organizations who have closed out a grant with DNR’s Urban and Community Forestry program only. Other funding will not require this but you should incorporate other funding details into the pre-award risk assessment questionnaire if you are requesting more than $50,000.

If we have DNR staff as partners in the project, is that ok to do?

Yes, just ensure you obtain a letter of support from the DNR employee that you would like to work with on the grant objectives.

If multiple departments within an organization want to apply, how is that considered?

Your organization is reviewed as a whole. If multiple departments want to apply, you should bundle your application as an organizational application and ensure you are under the maximum award amount.

How do we determine and approve our budget for this grant if we can’t do work before the contract is signed?

You can obtain bids to write your project budget as accurately as possible. Please only as for as much funding as you can use during the grant period for grant activities.

We are an SWCD and do not have an Emerald Ash Borer Management Plan. However, our county has a plan. Can this county towards the requirement.

Yes, this can count towards the requirement so long as the SWCD uses and implements the county plan.

There is a requirement that a local EAB plan “must be adopted on or after May 1, 2019.”  Ours was approved prior to that date (2018) – so are we not eligible for the grant or can we amend our EAB plan to make it current?

If you are still implementing the plan that was approved in 2018, the city must formally re-adopt the plan prior to grant closeout, if you are awarded. This process should be described in your project timeline and the 2018 plan attached to your application.

On the grant application it talks about submitting maps of the locations – if we were to do a “community event” where people sign up to have a tree on their boulevard, we wouldn’t know the location until we send out the sign up. Is this kind of thing ok or do we have to have everything mapped out prior to submitting the application for the grant?

Yes, this is OK. Maps submitted as a part of the application do not have to be exact locations but can be general areas in which work will be conducted. For example, a screenshot of Google Earth with the neighborhood outlined, or a shapefile with general locations.

When defining low-income for our application does the DNR have a preference on whether applicants use the 80% AMI threshold values or would they be open to the 150% AMI values as long as the use of it for residential projects is consistent? This is in consideration of our community having a higher-than-average household income level.

DNR does not have guidance as to what AMI threshold to use to define low-income. Low-income is defined and justified by the applicant using knowledge of their community. In some cases, the grants review committee may comment on your definition or have further questions, which would be communicated with the applicant.

Who is considered a conflict-of-interest signer?

Typically, the conflict-of-interest signer is the same as the Project Coordinator. Some organizations request someone different from the Project Coordinator to sign this section of the contract.

We have an outdated inventory but are in the process of updating it. Would we still be eligible for the grant?

Yes, if your organization is working on an inventory or EAB management plan that is funded by this grant, but will be completed by June 2029, this is OK. You are encourage to mention this work in your application to provide context to the grant review committee.

What sort of detail are you looking for in the 3-year establishment plan? Is it OK for residents to take care of boulevard trees?

All questions in the establishment plan form should have detailed responses. Residents can do basic care for boulevard trees (e.g., watering) and this should be noted.

We are not sure who are contractor is going to be, do we need to have a letter of support if we are planning to use a contractor?

If your organization has not yet determined what contractor you will use, you do not need to have a letter of support. It should be noted in the Key Personnel that a contractor will be used, along with the qualifications that will be required of them when you publish the request for bids.

Why are you asking for our annual forestry budget? How is this considered in the application?

The annual forestry budget will be requested either in the application portal (if you are requested less than $50,000) or in the Pre-Award Risk Assessment Questionnaire (if requesting $50,000 or more). This is to help us determine organizational capacity to administer the grant and is not a scored section of your application.

Is ISA Certification required for this grant? What about a pesticide license?

Work on residential land must be conducted by companies or organizations with an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist on staff, Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) accreditation, or equivalent qualification. Similarly, any education provided through this program must be conducted by an ISA Certified Arborist, TCIA accreditation or equivalent qualification, or must qualify for ISA continuing education units. A pesticide license is required to treat ash trees with an injectable non-neonicotinoid insecticide (i.e., emamectin benzoate).

General

How many applications do you anticipate for this grant? How much money will be requested?

This is hard to determine for an open application. However, 2025 ReLeaf and Community Tree Planting Grants had $12 million available, with $40 million in requests.

Is the amount that is requested by an applicant scaled based on the money that is available or are they awarded what they are requested?

This depends on how the review process goes. Many eligible applicants are awarded the full amount that they request. However, there are a couple of parts of the review process that could result in an award reduction:

1. Based on their scoring of the application and subsequent discussion, the review committee decides to reduce funding. The committee reviews applications from highest average score to lowest average score until funding runs out. Funding decisions are made at an in-person meeting after all applications have been scored on an individual basis.

2. Risk is identified when reviewing the pre-award risk assessment questionnaire and part of the mitigation plan is to reduce the award.

How does the reimbursement payment work?

Payment is made on a reimbursement basis with 90% of all reimbursement being issued as approved by DNR and 10% being retained until grant close out.

Can we use this funding as match for other grants through the federal government?

We cannot answer that question, you would need to ask the federal entity if they would allow that. We ask that you not submit match to us as part of this grant.

If we are awarded and we end up coming under budget on activities, could we add deliverables to expand our project during the grant timeline?

Yes, you would be able to do additional work with funding if you ended up having additional funding remaining during the project. Please obtain bids and write your project budget as accurately as possible and only ask for as much funding as you can use during the grant period for grant activities.

Is this a multi-year grant?

If awarded, your organization would have until June 1, 2029 to complete all grant activities.

Will this funding be offered again?

This is a one-time legislative appropriation that our program applied to through LCCMR.

Are there any resources that show general prices and/or vendors for community forestry activities?

As a state agency, we cannot recommend a specific contractor, though you can find information about this by contacting nearby communities, finding a certified arborist through treesaregood.org, or looking at the Tree Care Industry Association directory.

Review process

Is it possible to be awarded for less than we request in our application? Would we be able to amend what we would like to use funding for if reduced?

Yes, the scoring by the review committee and/or findings from the Pre-Award Risk Assessment may result in a reduction in funding. Because your application becomes your contract, you will be given a chance to updated your activities and timeline accordingly.

Are smaller communities prioritized in the review process?

There is no prioritization for community size in this grant. Projects will be funded based on the scores from the review committee and the results of the Pre-Award Risk Assessment.