Urban Trees Award Program

Urban Trees Award Program is sponsored by Maryland Forest Service. Provides grants to fund tree planting projects in urban, underserved areas within Maryland.

MDOT Urban Tree Grant | Maryland OneStop last revised 04/30/26 at 10:10 am MDOT Urban Tree Program Grant Application MDOT Urban Tree Program Grant Application The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) is pleased to offer grants to support tree planting efforts in communities that have been impacted by transportation projects through the MDOT Urban Tree Grant Program.

These grants are offered in partnership with the Maryland Urban and Community Forest Committee (MUCFC). To learn more about MUCFC visit their website at https://dnr. maryland.

gov/forests/pages/programs/urban/mcfc. aspx . Awards of up to $5,000 are available for eligible tree planting projects, with additional funds available for eligible Pocket Forest* plantings.

Applications for funding are accepted on a rolling basis. There will be two review periods: for all applications received by July 15 th 11:59pm projects will be considered for the fall planting season (awards issued early August) and for all applications received by January 15 th 11:59pm projects will be considered for the spring planting season (awards issued early February).

Complete submissions must include county Forestry Board signoff If you have questions or need help with your application, please reach out to MDOT Urban Tree Program Coordinator, Nick Kurtz at [email protected] .

Eligibility Criteria and Considerations Applicants must be from an eligible organization* Eligible organizations include non-profit organizations, schools, community/neighborhood associations; community business associations; businesses and places of worship; homeowners associations; business service, youth, and civic groups; institutions of higher education; counties; municipalities; and forest conservancy district boards.

Projects must take place in communities where trees have been removed as part of the construction of a transportation facility project*, such as construction of the Purple Line project Priority will be given to applications in communities that are also affected by Environmental justice issues* OR Priority will be given to projects supporting the urban tree canopy* Funding cannot be used for required mitigation planting Projects can take place on private or public lands* Tree species must be native.

MUCFC will not fund planting of invasive species. Projects with matching funds and/or in-kind support are preferred. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, for spring planting consideration applications need to be in the OneStop system by 11:59pm on January 15 and for fall planting considerations applications need to be in the OneStop system by 11:59pm on July 15.

All applications must be approved by your county Forestry Board by the application deadline. See forestry board contacts here: https://dnr. maryland.

gov/forests/pages/fboards. aspx Funding for limited outreach to encourage volunteers to support the project, to cover costs of signage, or promotion of the completed project may be included in application, for up to 5% of the total grant award. Include a site plan or project design and a photo of the proposed planting site.

If projects include tree pits, or other similar systems, applications must include details of the design or proposed structures. Planting plans may include up to 15% shrubs (by count, not funding). Example: For every 100 trees, 15 can be shrubs.

Tree species type (tree / shrub / tree-shrub) should be determined by using the USDA Plants Database website: https://plants. usda. gov/ Include a list of proposed plants (including species, size, and quantity) to be used in the project.

All plants are required to be native species. Description of any permits (if required), the needs, status, and how any review process may impact project completion. Include a described maintenance plan (I.e., watering, weeding, mulching, and long-term maintenance), the expected maintenance costs (eligible for funding), and who will be responsible for the maintenance activities.

Tree planting projects require one year of maintenance plan while Pocket Forest projects require a 3-year maintenance plan. Smaller plants cost less, are easily handled and have a higher survival rate than larger ball and burlap plants. Occasionally, larger plants are necessary, however.

When possible, purchase plants from the state facilities. Seedlings can be purchased from the state tree nursery at http://dnr. maryland.

gov/forests/Pages/nursery. aspx and for public land plantings. Container grown trees can be purchased from Tree-Mendous MD Program at https://dnr.

maryland. gov/forests/pages/treemendous/default. aspx .

Prices are typically $18-$50 dollars for trees and shrubs. Heat Island Effect: urban areas that experience higher temperatures relative to outlying areas (EPA). Pocket Forest: small, high density, native-shrub and tree planting projects in urban environments that recreate or restore layers of forests, including a canopy layer comprised of taller trees, a mid-height shrub layer, and ground cover.

These projects can also include soil augmentation and other restoration techniques to encourage low maintenance in urban spaces. Pocket Forests are designed to integrate forests into the urban environment. Public Land: land paid for and supported by public tax dollars – can include homeowner association, city, town, county, state or federal land, with the approval of the landowner.

Transportation Facility Project: for the purposes of this project, it is defined in as any construction, operation or maintenance activities that have occurred as part of the state-owned transportation system (including airport, highway, port, railroad and transit facilities), which resulted in the removal of trees.

(Examples include, but are not limited to, highway or rail corridor projects, park & ride lots, bicycle and walking path construction, mass transit projects such as the construction of the Purple Line project). Urban Area: for the purposes of this grant, an urban area is defined as an area that contains at least 2,000 housing units or has a population of at least 5,000 (Census Bureau, March 24,2022 - https://www. federalregister.

gov/documents/2022/03/24/2022-06180/urban-area-criteria-for-the-2020-census-final-criteria ) Urban Tree Canopy: when viewed from above, the leaves and branches of trees that cover the ground. This serves as an overall indicator of urban forest quality and quantity. Maryland Department of Transportation Check "Claim Records" page later.

A record can be a license, permit, certification, or registration, etc.