Photo Credit: City of Phoenix
On Thursday, Sept. 14, the United States Forest Service announced that the City of Phoenix was awarded a $10 million grant to support tree planting efforts in heat-vulnerable areas.
“This significant award is more than just money for tree planting — it’s an acceleration toward a cleaner, cooler, more equitable Phoenix. Expanding our shade canopy has long been one of my priorities, and as we work overtime to combat the impacts of climate change and make our city more resilient to extreme heat, this funding has the potential to multiply our impact. I am excited for Phoenix families to reap the benefits of additional shade, lower energy bills, the creation of green jobs, and cleaner air,” Mayor Gallego said.
Funding will go towards tree planting and maintenance, workforce development, community restoration and resilience as well as mitigating extreme heat. The $10 million will add to the City’s $4 million American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding that was approved by City Council in 2022 for urban forestry.
“Everyone deserves to have adequate tree coverage and receiving this funding allows us to expand our current tree planting efforts in the hottest parts of Phoenix,” said City of Phoenix Urban Tree Program Manager Lora Martens. “Planting more trees allows us to mitigate heat, conserve energy and provide more shade for our residents.”
Currently, the City’s Office of Heat Response and Mitigation is using ARPA funding to improve tree equity through two grant programs designed for Phoenix residents and schools in Qualified Census Tracts. The Community Canopy grant program is designed to offer trees for individuals and neighborhoods and the Canopy for Kids grant program focuses on providing trees to public schools, nonprofit schools, and 501(c)(3) organizations that serve youth.
Qualifying residents and schools can apply for current grant programs at Phoenix.gov/heat. Stay tuned for more details on how Phoenix will expand its tree planting efforts.
