The City of Concord was selected to receive a $1 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service to expand urban tree canopy cover and grow Concord’s urban forest through new plantings.
The goal is to maximize the social, economic, and environmental benefits of trees and urban greening. In addition, these funds will enable the City to protect the urban forest from threats and loss by preserving Concord’s existing trees.
“We are proud to have been selected for this funding to support our efforts to build and maintain our urban forest,” Concord Mayor Laura Hoffmeister said. “Concord has a rich history as a ‘Tree City USA,’ having been awarded that distinction over the last 43 years. We recognize that by planting more trees, we can help build a greener community with cooler temperatures, cleaner air, and healthier residents.”
Concord’s plan to carry out this work calls for community engagement. Residents, public agencies, nonprofits, and other private organizations will be asked to participate in building and caring for the urban forest.
The City of Concord currently partners with Diablo Valley College on establishing the school’s horticulture certificate program internship project, creating hands-on work experience opportunities for students and expanding workforce development pathways for green careers in urban and community forestry.
Within the next few months, City staff will bring a proposal forward to the City Council for how to invest these federal grant funds based on the proposal submitted to the Forest Service.
Work on this program is expected to begin in 2024.
More information is available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/urban-forests/ucf/2023-grant-funding
Photo courtesy Councilmember Carlyn Obringer (facebook) , September of Service event plants trees at Hillcrest Park.