Opportunity Information: Apply for USDA FS UCF 01 2019

The 2019 National Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program is a competitive, discretionary grant opportunity run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service (CFDA 10.675) to support urban and community forestry projects with broad reach. A key feature of this program is the role of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC), a congressionally designated advisory body that helps the Forest Service set grant categories and provides recommendations on which final proposals the agency should consider for funding. In practice, this means project ideas are expected to align not only with Forest Service priorities, but also with the Council's annually established criteria and guidance on what will create meaningful national benefits.

At its core, the program is designed to strengthen the health and sustainability of the nation's urban and community forests and the natural resources connected to them. The Council's stated goal is to help communities of all sizes manage, protect, and expand their urban forest resources in ways that deliver real-world outcomes, including improved public health and well-being, stronger local economic vitality, and more resilient ecosystems that can endure and provide benefits for future generations. The emphasis is not limited to planting trees; it also includes the broader systems and practices that make urban forestry effective over time, such as planning, management, education, and approaches that can be replicated or scaled.

Funding is provided through the Forest Service's Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost-Share Grant Program, which focuses on projects that have national or multi-state application and impact. In other words, proposals are generally expected to produce tools, methods, research, models, training, or implementation strategies that can be applied across multiple jurisdictions rather than benefiting only a single neighborhood or one-off local effort. Proposals must also fit within established federal authorities for urban and community forestry, specifically those designated by Congress in the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act (Section 9) and reflected in the State and Private Cooperative Forestry Handbook of Programs. This requirement signals that applicants should be ready to clearly connect their project activities to the statutory purposes and allowable urban forestry program activities recognized by the Forest Service.

Eligible applicants include a wide range of public and nonprofit entities: state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in that nonprofit category). The award ceiling listed for this opportunity is $200,000, and the program anticipated making around 10 awards for this cycle. The posting lists an original application closing date of April 30, 2018, with a creation date of January 31, 2018, even though the opportunity is titled "2019," which is common in federal grant listings when cycles, appropriations, or program years do not perfectly match posting dates.

For prospective applicants trying to understand what tends to be competitive, the opportunity points to a public list of previously funded NUCFAC-supported projects (referenced as the Urban Forestry South list of past NUCFAC grants). Reviewing past awards can help clarify the kinds of deliverables and multi-state or national impacts the Council and the Forest Service typically prioritize, and it can also help applicants shape proposals around proven themes such as transferable best practices, scalable partnerships, and measurable outcomes that advance sustainable urban and community forestry nationwide.

  • The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service in the environment, natural resources, science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2019 National Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
  • Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 10.675.
  • This funding opportunity was created on Jan 31, 2018.
  • Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 30, 2018. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
  • Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
  • The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
  • Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
Apply for USDA FS UCF 01 2019

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the 2019 National Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program?

It is a competitive, discretionary grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (CFDA 10.675) to support urban and community forestry projects designed for broad reach and meaningful national benefits.

Which agency runs this grant program?

The program is run by the USDA Forest Service.

Is this a competitive grant or a formula entitlement program?

This is a competitive, discretionary grant program, meaning proposals are evaluated against criteria and only selected applications receive awards.

What is the role of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC) in this opportunity?

NUCFAC is a congressionally designated advisory body that helps the Forest Service set grant categories and provides recommendations on which final proposals the agency should consider for funding. Project ideas are expected to align with Forest Service priorities and NUCFAC's annually established criteria and guidance.

What is the main purpose of the program?

The program is designed to strengthen the health and sustainability of the nation's urban and community forests and the natural resources connected to them.

What kinds of outcomes does the program aim to support?

The stated goal includes helping communities manage, protect, and expand urban forest resources in ways that produce real-world outcomes such as improved public health and well-being, stronger local economic vitality, and more resilient ecosystems that can endure and provide benefits for future generations.

Is the program only about planting trees?

No. The emphasis is not limited to planting trees. It also includes the broader systems and practices that make urban forestry effective over time, such as planning, management, education, and approaches that can be replicated or scaled.

What funding mechanism is used for this opportunity?

Funding is provided through the Forest Service's Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost-Share Grant Program.

What does it mean that projects should have national or multi-state application and impact?

Proposals are generally expected to produce tools, methods, research, models, training, or implementation strategies that can be applied across multiple jurisdictions, rather than efforts that benefit only a single neighborhood or a one-off local project.

Do projects need to align with specific federal authorities?

Yes. Proposals must fit within established federal authorities for urban and community forestry designated by Congress in the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act (Section 9) and reflected in the State and Private Cooperative Forestry Handbook of Programs.

What does the requirement to connect to the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act (Section 9) imply for applicants?

It implies applicants should be prepared to clearly connect project activities to statutory purposes and allowable urban forestry program activities recognized by the Forest Service.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants include state, county, and city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in that nonprofit category).

Are nonprofit organizations eligible?

Yes, nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status are eligible, with the noted exception that higher education institutions are excluded from eligibility under the nonprofit category (they may be eligible under the separate higher education categories).

Are tribal governments eligible?

Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments are listed as eligible applicants.

Are public housing authorities eligible?

Yes. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities are included in the eligible applicant list.

What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling) for this opportunity?

The award ceiling listed is $200,000.

How many awards were anticipated for this cycle?

The program anticipated making around 10 awards for this cycle.

What was the application deadline shown in the posting?

The posting lists an original application closing date of April 30, 2018.

Why does the opportunity title say "2019" if the closing date is in 2018?

The posting includes a creation date of January 31, 2018, and a closing date of April 30, 2018, even though it is titled "2019." This is described as common in federal grant listings when cycles, appropriations, or program years do not perfectly match posting dates.

What types of deliverables tend to be aligned with the program's expectations?

The opportunity emphasizes deliverables such as tools, methods, research, models, training, or implementation strategies that can be replicated, scaled, or applied across multiple jurisdictions to create meaningful national benefits.

How can applicants get a better sense of what kinds of projects have been funded in the past?

The opportunity points to a public list of previously funded NUCFAC-supported projects (referenced as the Urban Forestry South list of past NUCFAC grants). Reviewing past awards can help clarify the types of deliverables and multi-state or national impacts typically prioritized.

What themes are suggested as strong signals of competitiveness based on the description?

The description suggests themes such as transferable best practices, scalable partnerships, and measurable outcomes that advance sustainable urban and community forestry nationwide.

Does the program prioritize local-only projects?

The emphasis described is on national or multi-state application and impact, indicating proposals should generally go beyond a single local or one-off effort and produce outputs that can be used across jurisdictions.

What does "broad reach" mean in the context of this grant?

In context, "broad reach" refers to projects intended to generate meaningful national benefits and produce outputs (like tools, models, training, research, or strategies) that can be applied in multiple communities or across multiple states.

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