Community Forestry Program

Montclair Awarded $1M Urban & Community Forestry Grant from the USDA via Inflation Reduction Act Greener streets are coming your way! The Office of Sustainability is proud to announce the receipt of the Urban & Community Forestry Inflation Reduction Act Grant to the Township of Montclair in the amount of $1 million by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

This grant aims to support the township’s endeavor for equitable urban tree access and climate resilience. This will be accomplished by mitigating hotspots and reducing the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect through an expansion of the urban tree canopy. Moreover, it will give precedence to underserved communities, increase educational outreach, and provide backing for youth employment.

Research indicates that communities with ample access to trees and green spaces experience improved health outcomes, decreased crime rates, lower average temperatures, and a surge in various types of investments and new economic prospects. Thanks to the support provided by the Inflation Reduction Act, the Forest Service is currently making investments to increase the nation's tree coverage across urban, suburban, and rural communities on a nationwide scale.

The Urban and Community Forestry Program is an integral component of President Biden's Justice40 Initiative, which strives to guarantee that marginalized, underserved, and pollution-affected communities, burdened by historic underinvestment, receive the benefits of specific federal investments.

In Montclair, we are witnessing a pressing demand to address the adverse impacts of UHIs and rectify environmental injustices. We firmly believe that initiatives such as tree planting, improving air quality, reducing energy demands, bolstering workforce development, and fostering greater community involvement will yield substantial benefits in tackling the damaging effects of extreme heat and promoting environmental equity within our communities.

For more information about this grant and Montclair's efforts to create a greener and more equitable community, please contact Lisa Johnson, Montclair’s Environmental Affairs Coordinator, at ljohnson@montclairnjusa.org or 973-509-5721.

Learn more about the 2023 Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program and the value of urban forests at https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/urban-forests