The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is marking Arbor Day by announcing tree grants, with the Town of Kearny securing $862,500 for the cause.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Trees help cool and beautify our communities, filter air pollutants, mitigate the effects of flooding, and capture and store greenhouse gases,” NJ DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said in a statement.
“As we celebrate Arbor Day and conclude our celebration of Earth Week, we commit to continuing the work of making all of our communities more livable and healthier through the planting and stewardship of trees and forests.”
Funding for the grants is provided by the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program.
The Leafing Out grants will fund the development of tree inventories and community forest management plans, urban forestry training, priority tree maintenance and hazard tree removals, and tree plantings.
“Through historic funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, the Forest Service is supporting projects that will substantially increase urban tree cover in New Jersey, while creating job opportunities,” said Tony Dixon, USDA Forest Service Eastern Regional Forester.
“The many benefits of increased canopy cover will be felt in cities and neighborhoods throughout New Jersey because of the great work that you are about to do, and we are proud to support you.”
Eligible municipalities were comprised entirely of overburdened census blocks and disadvantaged census tracts as identified by New Jersey’s Environmental Justice Law and the Federal Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, per 2022 data.
Kearny was one of 10 municipalities throughout the state to earn the $850,000 grant and was the only municipality in Hudson County to do so.
Of the $850,000, the DEP Forest Service expects each grant to roughly be spent on $50,000 for inventory and community forest management plan development, $400,000 for tree-related maintenance activities and $400,000 for tree planting.
They also received an additional $12,500 to help municipal employees, along with engaged community volunteers, to build their knowledge of urban forestry and arboriculture over a four-year period by attending conferences and other educational programs.
