ReLeaf Community Forestry Grants is a grant from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that funds community forest health improvements across Minnesota. Backed by a $7 million legislative allocation, the program supports tree inventory, planting, assessment, maintenance, restoration, and wood utilization projects. The maximum grant request is $500,000, and no match is required.

Eligible applicants include nonprofit 501(c) organizations, educational institutions, and local governments including cities, counties, tribal governments, and parks boards. Priority is given to projects in areas with a supplemental demographic index score of 70% or higher based on socioeconomic factors including low income, disability, limited English, and low life expectancy.

2025 ReLeaf Community Forestry Grants | Minnesota DNR Community forestry grants Community forestry program status Residential tree planting & care Tree care financial assistance Certified Tree Inspector program 2025 ReLeaf Community Forestry Grants The Minnesota Legislature allocated $7 million to the ReLeaf program to improve community forest health.

Funding can support tree inventory, planting, assessment, maintenance, improvement, protection, and restoration. This year, wood utilization projects are also eligible. The maximum grant request is $500,000, and no match is required.

Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations with 501(c) status, educational institutions, and local units of government within Minnesota, including cities, counties, regional authorities, joint powers boards, towns, and Tribal governments. Parks and recreation boards in cities of the first class are also eligible to apply.

Consistent with legislative direction, priority for grant awards will be given to projects located in areas with a supplemental demographic index score of 70 percent or higher based on five socioeconomic factors: percent low-income, percent persons with disabilities, percent less than high school education, percent limited English speaking, and low life expectancy.

The Priority Areas map has been updated to include census tracts that meet the threshold at the state level, rather than the entire US comparison to align with other community forestry grants. Please review the Priority Areas Map to see updated census tracts. More details are available in the Grant Priorities section of the request for application .

Community forestry work conducted on non-state public land, or on residential land for low-income residents (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) Work conducted by staff or contractors Developing a management plan, which can include but is not limited to a forestry-related climate adaption plan, all lands management plan, or emerald ash borer management plan.

Incorporation of environmental justice components and wood utilization components into management plans is encouraged.

Tree and stump removal and tree replacement Tree planting for diversity Chemical treatment of ash trees with an injectable non-neonicotinoid insecticide (e.g. emamectin benzoate) if it provides long-term impact or seed funds an intended long-term program in communities up to 10 miles outside of generally infested areas across Minnesota (please see online guidance for more information) Gravel bed construction and maintenance Developing a tree ordinance Tree cabling, if a long-term evaluation plan is included Development, purchase, or printing of materials used to educate, engage, and conduct outreach to residents about urban and community forestry Urban and community forestry or arboriculture education and outreach Professional certifications and/or training related to the proposed project Additional plant healthcare treatments, as approved If selected, grantees may only incur eligible expenditures after the grant contract is fully executed.

Application Available: August 13, 2025 Application Questions due: October 28, 2025 Applications Due: November 11, 2025 - Application window has been extended . Project Selection, Financial and Capacity Review: November 12, 2025-February 6, 2026 Grant Agreement Negotiations.

Work Plans Approved, Contracts Executed, Grant Work Begins: February 9, 2026 - May 29, 2026 All Grant Work Completed, Final Reimbursement Request Submitted By: June 30, 2027 A complete application will consist of the following: Application identifies locations of grant project work.

Submission must show whether work will take place within the Priority Areas: Application states: that project work is taking place community-wide based on your organization’s geographic purview; or that work will only take place within areas identified by the supplemental demographic index; or that no project work will take place within the supplemental demographic index. Maps are provided, showing project area (ex.

printing screenshot of Priority Area map , outlining project area, scanning, and submitting with application.)

3-Year Tree Establishment Plan for newly-planted trees, if planting trees Species and Stock List from which trees will be planted, if planting trees (any format acceptable; contact [email protected] with questions about species eligibility) Local units of government, submit a management Plan, if already completed (local units of government must have adopted on or after June 30, 2017, and submitted with their application or plan to adopt a management plan through this grant process- if your community does not have a management plan in place, budget for the cost of obtaining one during this grant program) Letter(s) of support, if collaborating with an outside organization (any format acceptable) Pre-Award Risk Assessment Questionnaire and associated financial documents, if applicant is requesting $50,000 or more in grant funds.

Tribal governments are exempt from this requirement. (PDF, format unchanged) List of Authorized Signer(s), including name(s), title(s), and email address(es) . (Any format acceptable) Here is a checklist that is not required, but may be helpful as you navigate the application process.

Please reach out if you need help or have questions! [email protected] After reading the Request for Applications, complete all parts of the application found above. Email completed applications to [email protected] (only emailed applications will be accepted).

Applications must be received by November 11, 2025 to be considered eligible for funding. Staff will be hosting several virtual office hour sessions to answer questions about the grant application process. These sessions are informal drop-in opportunities.

Applicants can bring specific questions about eligibility, application requirements, budgets, timelines, or project ideas, and staff will provide guidance. You can come for a few minutes or stay longer depending on your needs, just click the link below to attend that day. August 28 from 8:00 to 10:00 a.

m. Attend office hours . September 9 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.

m. Attend office hours . September 25 from 1:30 to 3:00 p.

m. Attend office hours . October 7 from 8:00 to 10:00 a.

m. Attend office hours . October 13 from 2:00 to 3:30 a.

m. Attend office hours . Watch our webinar recording that covers the application process, budgets, and timelines.

You can view the transcripts here or turn on closed captioning in the recording. In-person grant overview sessions We will be traveling across the state hosting nine in-person sessions to help answer any questions communities might have about the grant. August 25 from 1:00 to 2:30 p.

m. at Two Harbors Public Library, Meeting Room, 320 Waterfront Drive, Two Harbors, MN 55616 August 27 from 1:20 to 3:00 p. m.

at Bemidji Public Library, Meeting Room, 509 America Ave NW, Bemidji, MN 56601 August 28 from 10:30 a. m. to 12:00 p.

m. at Marshally-Lyon County Library, Minnesota Room, 201 C Street, Marshall, MN 56258 September 4 from 10:30 a. m.

to 12:00 p. m. at Rochester Park Board Space, Police DSIC NW B163 A Classroom, 4001 W.

River Parkway, NW Rochester, MN 55901 September 5 from 1:00 to 2:30 p. m. at Nokomis Public Library, Nokomis Meeting Room, 5100 34th Ave S.

, Minneapolis, MN 55417 September 10 from 10:30 a. m. to 12:00 p.

m. at Blue Earth Public Library, BEC Conference Room, 100 E Min Street, Mankato, MN 56001 September 18 from 12:00 to 1:00 p. m.

at Moorhead Public Library, 118 5 th S. Moorhead, MN 56560 September 22 from 11:00 a. m.

to 12:00 p. m. at Morris Public Library 102 E.

6 th St. , Morris, MN 56267 No matching funds are required. Please do not submit a match as part of your application.

Please submit additional questions to [email protected] by October 28. Answers to frequently asked questions will be posted weekly. Questions from previous grants can be viewed here .

Are indirect costs allowed and what is the cap on them? We do allow indirect costs for ReLeaf. We can navigate the cap on indirect costs in one of the following ways: If you have a federally negotiated rate we will use that.

If you do not have one, we will use the federal de minimis rate of 15%. If my town is just outside the 10-mile buffer for EAB Generally Infested Areas for approving emamectin benzoate injection as an eligible expense, could we still use grant funds to purchase the equipment to inject trees?

Given the current restriction within the 10-mile buffer of known infestations, you would not be able to purchase the equipment for injection treatments with grant funds. If you are awarded and the known area changes during the grant period so that EAB is found within 10 miles of your community, you may be able to use grant funds to purchase equipment if you have room within your budget. Is admin cost an eligible expense for this grant?

If so, is there a limit on how much time can be spent on admin? Time spent on the project by staff of the grant recipient is an eligible expense for this grant (pg. 6 of RFA).

This may include administrative work, such as completing grant reporting and reimbursement requests. There is no defined limit that can be spent on staff time for these activities. Any amount spent should be reflected in the budget spreadsheet and justified in the application.

For staff time such as administration (e.g., preparing and submitting grant progress reports) would wages plus benefits be eligible costs, or just wages? For staff time, wages plus benefits would be an eligible cost under ReLeaf. Is the use of City equipment an example of an eligible indirect cost?

Yes, city equipment can be included as an indirect cost. However, if there is a specific rate you will be using for the equipment, it may be easier to include these as a line item under 'equipment cost' in the budget (e.g., $X for use of watering tank), rather than lumping it into indirect costs.

We are interested in creating a Natural Resources Management plan for the city that would cover management in forested parks, as well as vegetative buffers around stormwater ponds, and provide a framework for managing vegetation in a prioritized format. Would this type of work be eligible for funding? Yes, a management plan that includes the management of forested parks and vegetative buffers would be an eligible expense.

The RFA states that any equipment over $5,000 is ineligible, but I wanted to verify if this includes a unique piece of equipment specifically for wood utilization. Would an air burner ($200,000+) be ineligible? The purpose of any single piece of equipment, regardless of its use, over $5,000 is ineligible under this grant.

No one tool/equipment can have a unit cost of $5,000 or more, even if that cost is split across grant and match funds. We are looking to fully staff the operations in our project. How many years of staff wages can we account for?

Grant funds can only be used between the contract execution and the expiration of funds on June 30, 2027. Any activities outside of that time frame are ineligible for reimbursement. Only staff time directly related to activities listed in the grant contract are eligible for reimbursement.

Eligible Activities Would providing trees to community members be an eligible project? Tree plantings can be done on private residential lands including tree giveaways. If using a tree giveaway method, grantee must provide tree planting education and materials.

Residential work can only be done on low-income properties. If using a tree giveaway method, you will need to verify income in some way for tree recipients. Can you share examples of wood utilization projects?

We are thinking of converting a boiler to be able to burn woody biomass sourced from waste wood from the Twin Cities metro. This would help us improve the environmental profile of the boiler as well as manage the wood waste problem. We would first need to do a technical assessment and that's what we propose to use the grant money for.

Would this be considered a "wood utilization" project? Wood utilization project examples for the ReLeaf program would be things like nature play areas made using wood from removed trees or purchasing of equipment for processing wood products (provided equipment is not a capital expenditure over $4,999. 99 unit price).

The project you’ve mentioned sounds like it would be eligible with adequate justification and coherence with your overall project proposal. We have woodlands with a maple/ash mix and some oak savannas on our site. Is preservation of oak savannas an eligible project for ReLeaf?

Yes, preservation of oak savannas can be eligible if the project focuses on protecting or enhancing tree canopy. Projects must meet program requirements, such as being on eligible land and providing public benefits. Work that only restores prairie or grassland without a tree component would not qualify.

Can staff time spent on administrative and reporting tasks be reimbursed? Yes, staff time spend on administrative and reporting tasks that are directly tied to managing your ReLeaf grant can be reimbursed. Time must be documented and included in the project budget to be eligible.

Are wages for seasonal watering staff considered an eligible expense? Yes, wages for seasonal staff hired to water newly planted trees are eligible under the ReLeaf program, as long as the work is tied to the grant-funded project and included in the budget. Are outreach materials like print media considered an eligible expense?

Yes, outreach materials such as door hangers and other print media are eligible expenses under the ReLeaf program if they support the grant project. Is sending staff to the Shade Tree Short Course considered an eligible expense? Yes, registration costs for staff to attend the Shade Tree Short Course is eligible under the ReLeaf grant program if the training directly supports your grant project goals.

We want to implement a private ash removal assistance program. Do ash trees removed with grants funds on private property have to be replaced? Yes, removals conducted on residential property must be offered a tree replacement of one tree planted for each tree removed.

The property owner must decline trees planted in order to not meet the one-to-one replanting requirement. Regarding the community support requirement. Our project will include landscaping, even though we know that the grant will not pay for landscaping.

If community volunteers plant landscaping – not planting the trees – as part of the project, would that meet the community support requirement? Yes, volunteer efforts like planting landscaping plants can count as community support but only if they are paired with education and outreach related to urban and community forestry topics such as proper planting and maintenance of new trees or threats to our community forests like EAB.

There should be meaningful engagement that connects volunteers and the community to the goals of the grant. Could a city apply for the grant in partnership with a property management company to remove and/or replant trees on a private residential site? The ReLeaf Grant allows for both removals and planting on low-income residential land, where low-income must be defined and reasonably justified by the applicant and submitted to the DNR.

Any work conducted on residential property will either be completed by residents (tree planting only), or by tree care companies holding liability insurance and with an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist on staff, or Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA) accreditation, or equivalent certification. Note: Letters of support are required if collaborating with an outside organization.

This is to ensure that they are aware of and agree to support the project. Could you provide more information about what gravel best construction costs would tie to forestry projects? Would this be roads for logging, etc.?

Gravel bed construction refers to an irrigated bed or pile of gravel intended to hold bareroot trees for 3-6 months before planting. You can find more information about gravel beds on the University of MN UFOR Nursery & Lab Website: Gravel Beds | The UFOR Nursery & Lab . Are there any guidelines or constraints for maintenance pruning?

Pruning will be required to follow best management practices as outlined in ANSI A300 and the USFS Tree Owners Manual. Are spaded trees an eligible expense for these grants? Unfortunately, we are unable to allow trees larger than those outlined in the Request for Applications (RFA) document.

Please review the RFA to review the bareroot, container, and balled and burlap stock restrictions.

What is the minimum set of TCIA credentials or accreditation staff of an organization would need to meet for of the first eligible activity: "Community forestry work conducted on non-state public land, or on residential land for low-income residents (work on residential land must be conducted by companies or organizations with an ISA on staff, TCIA accreditation, or equivalent qualification."

In regard to the TCIA accreditation, we would expect a company or organization to prove they are accredited through this process: TCIA Accreditation - Tree Care Industry Association, LLC . Within the accreditation program, companies are evaluated based on their adherence to ANSI A300 and ANSI Z133 standards, training and professional staffing levels, and dedication to ethical and quality business practices.

A company should hold the accreditation as a whole to use that TCIA accreditation as their qualification for doing work on residential land. If a city has received UCF grant in the past, but some of those trees have since died, could the grant funds be used to replace them? It is the responsibility of the grantee to replace any dead trees paid for by grant funding.

This is typically written into a grantee’s contract. In some cases, however, it can depend on the grant. Any further questions about this can be directed to [email protected] .

Can grant funds be used to prepare and mail Emerald Ash Borer educational materials to all residents? Yes, based on the eligible activities listed in the Request for Applications, the creation and dissemination of EAB educational materials can be funded by ReLeaf. Is stump removal an eligible activity when the tree was lost to a storm event?

Stump removal/grinding is an eligible activity. Stump removals from boulevards and manicured parks must be replaced at a 1-to-1 ratio, and trees must be replanted at the same location of the removal whenever possible and feasible. How is low-income defined for residential work?

Work on residential land can only be conducted on a property in service to low-income residents. The definition of low-income must be defined and reasonably justified by the applicant and submitted to the DNR. (pg.

5 of ReLeaf RFA). Can you apply for multiple types of activities for each grant? Yes, you can.

As long as you are requesting funding for eligible expenses and activities and are under the maximum award amount, you can combine different activities under the same grant application such as obtaining a tree inventory and management plan and also doing removals and replacements.

Can I utilize this grant to subsidize residents removing their trees in priority areas or do I (the grantee) need to hire the contractor myself and pay for the full removal of the tree? Would there be a preference on the total amount the grant covers for removals? Paying staff and contractors are an eligible expense, but providing direct payment to a resident is not.

Organizations serving low-income residents will need to work with and pay a contractor directly. Organizations should structure their grant to cover the costs of removals and replacements in full for residents but other arrangements (covering a percentage of the costs and resident covering the remainder) may be considered.

Is it acceptable to apply for a grant so that more funding can be allocated to another project that may not be eligible for funding? Yes, this is acceptable so long as the items proposed in the application are eligible activities. Grantees are encouraged to describe all impacts of the funding throughout their application.

What are some examples of an equipment purchase? Examples of eligible equipment purchases include, chainsaws, water tank, safety hear, pruners, safety gear, etc. All equipment purchases must have a unit cost of $4,999 or less and be used to complete the project. My community wants to plant balled and burlap trees – can we use grant funds to pay for the required training?

Yes, ReLeaf grant funds can be used to cover the cost of the MNDOT Certified Landscape Specialist training . Can we prune trees on trails in our community? Yes, pruning is an eligible activity under this grant.

Is treatment for two-lined chestnut borer an eligible activity? Yes, treatment for two-lined chestnut borer is considered an ‘additional plant healthcare treatment’ on page 2 of the RFA. My community’s proposed project is scheduled to start this year.

If awarded, is my community eligible to receive reimbursement for costs incurred prior to the grant period? No, project work and expenses that are eligible for reimbursement with grant funds CANNOT be started or incurred until the grant contract is fully executed. Would a fence around a small orchard be something that can be covered by the grant?

A fence may be eligible if it is for protection of the trees planted. A fence established for protection should be at least 4 ft tall and have paneling designed to exclude deer and other animals. A decorative fence would not be eligible.

Is one to one removal and replanting required? Yes, for street and park trees there is a one to one replacement required. For natural settings there is a five to one replacement (remove five and replace them with one).

Can you do removals on right of ways and how do you define right of ways? Can you replant removals in the front yard behind the right of way? Yes, you can do removals in the right of way on both public and private land.

Right of ways are defined using the individual municipality definition of their right of ways. You can replant removals in the front yard behind the right of way. To increase universal access on sidewalks we need to make area around the trees in our tree pits smooth and at-grade.

Rather than metal tree grates we would like to use flexible site-mixed paving material, which is ADA compliant and is used in some other cities for their tree pits. Would this be an eligible maintenance expense? No, flexible site-mixed paving material is not an eligible expense.

At this time there is not enough peer-reviewed quantitative research to justify the use of these materials in lieu of mulch. Additionally, using this material to replace tree grates and be ADA compliance would make this a capital investment, which is ineligible. If the future, if there is peer-reviewed research about the use of this product in lieu of mulch with urban trees, we would be happy to revisit and reconsider this decision.

Another FAQ states that registration costs for the Shade Tree Short Course would be an eligible expense. Would travel costs (e.g., mileage, motel, food) for attendance also be eligible? Any costs needed to attend the identified training opportunity can be covered by grant funds.

This may include travel, lodging, or food. Any plans to attend trainings covered by grant funds must be justified in the application, including how the training is related to the proposed project. For the management plan requirement for local units of government, are management plans required to be based on an inventory?

All management plans are required to be based on an up-to-date inventory that is no more than 10 years old. If you do not have an inventory, you can incorporate costs of an inventory into your grant budget as well. Inventories can be a statistical sampling, full inventory, or some combination of both.

Application Can I send in my application for proofreading prior to submitting? No, DNR cannot proofread your application, as application assistance of this sort was not incorporated into the grant release. If applicants have any questions about the completeness of their application (i.e., proper forms/documentation), they should review the grant application checklist, linked above.

Do we need to have a City Council resolution for one or both of these grants? No, you do not need a City Council resolution in order to apply for either ReLeaf or Community Tree Planting Grants. You do, however, need to provide Letters of Support if you will be collaborating with an outside organization.

Do you have the code dictionary from the EJ atlas or can you clarify the definitions of these factors given in the map to ensure I calculate the percentile accurately? The data for this map was originally found in the EPA’s EJScreen tool. More information on how this was calculated can be found in the EJScreen Technical document here .

Is there any data on number of households, LMI levels, or other data that could be passed along to us? Please reach out to UCF staff at [email protected] for specific information and data related to your community’s demographics. I think the best way to describe my proposal for grant funding is to do so through maps and quite a few attachments.

If I use a large number of attachments to our application, will it diminish our chances of receiving funding? Including a large number of attachments will not negatively impact the competitiveness of your application. We encourage grantees to provide as much information as is needed to show the scope of their proposed work and understand that a complete application requires multiple documents.

Where can I access the documents needed for the Pre-Award Risk Assessment? All required documentation for Pre-Award Risk Assessments can be found on our grant webpages as fillable PDFs. If we have located and marked trees on residential properties within the priority mapping areas, do we need to prepare all agreements prior to the application?

No, the agreements with residents do not need to be included in the application, however; if awarded, the grantee will be required to provide this information. Note that all work on residential land can only be conducted on a property in service to low-income residents. The definition of low-income must be defined and responsibly justifies by the applicant and submitted as part of the application.

I am having trouble accessing the RFA and Application PDFs. We made some updates to the RFAs, you will need to clear your browser cache and the applications will open. Please confirm the application deadline.

I’ve seen two different dates. The deadline for both UCF grants has been extended due to an update to the Priority Area map. The deadline for ReLeaf is now November 11.

I was just on the priority map for our area and saw that more of our community is now incorporated in the priority area. Has something changed in the last few days? We updated our Priority Area map this week to reflect the EJScreen Supplemental Demographic Index data as compared to the state rather than to the US.

This resulted in more areas being included in the Priority Map and we have also extended the deadlines for both grants, applications are now due October 27th for Community Tree Planting and November 11th for ReLeaf. Are letters of support required? In the RFA, it says it is required but in the application checklist it says it is only required if collaborating with an outside organization.

If it’s the latter, can this be clarified? Letters of support are required if collaborating with an outside organization. This is to ensure that they are aware of and agree to support the project.

For example, if you plan to collaborate with a local school system, non-profit, or Soil and Water Conservation District, DNR would need letter of support from those organizations. Letters of support are not required if the applicant is not collaborating with an outside organization but are sometimes submitted to provide additional context to the project proposal (e.g., letter of support from mayor).

My organization is not located in a priority area, but some of the populations we serve live in priority areas. Can this be considered? Yes, the priority scoring for ReLeaf allow for a degree of interpretation so even if the office and property of an organization are not located in the priority areas, applicants can consider the population the organization serves when estimating project priority.

Applicants are given space to described how they arrived at this with a clear, logical, and data-informed justification. The scoresheet for this can be found on page 11 of the RFA. For residential tree care, it is required to be serving low-income residents.

The application states that the "definition of low-income must be defined and reasonably justified by the applicant and submitted to the DNR." Do you have any specific methods of proof of low-income status that are preferred? Proof of low-income status is typically self-certified by the resident where the work is planned to take place.

When defining low-income as ‘annual household income at or below 80% area median income’ for residential properties, do we have to check the median income of which county the resident lives in (since our city is in two counties), or could we use a singular datapoint for median household income?

County annual median income (AMI) can be used by a city for this purpose, though the AMI of a county may not be representative of the area of interest. Many communities use the AMI of their city. Ultimately it is up to the applicant to determine what low-income is defined as for their community, and residents are asked to self-certify.

We do not require certification documentation to be submitted to the DNR but do ask to see how the city is determining what qualifies as low-income. Would a project focusing on maintenance pruning be considered for award? Pruning projects are an eligible activity and a project focusing on pruning would be reviewed the same way as a planting and/or removal project under the ReLeaf grant program.

Is an EAB Management Plan sufficient for the ReLeaf Management Plan requirement for local units of government? An EAB Management Plan would be sufficient to meet the local unit of government management plan requirement. If we specify the entire city as our project are and only 17% of the city is in the Priority Area, should we claim 17% even if most of the work is not in the Priority Area?

The amount of work that you would do with grant