Tucson Gets USDA Grant to Grow City's Tree Canopy

Published on September 21, 2023

The City of Tucson recently won a competitive, $5 million urban forestry grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to invest in Tucson neighborhoods on the frontlines of climate change.

"This grant is another great example of how we are aggressively going after federal dollars to implement our Climate Action Plan," said Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. "It will ensure that the benefits of trees are reaching our most vulnerable residents: our seniors, children, and low-income communities."

The grant will help create more green spaces, invest in workforce development, and support community engagement to ensure the benefits of trees are equitably distributed.

The grant relies on the City's Tree Equity Mapping tool and the work of the City's first Urban Forestry manager to support the Tucson Million Trees initiative, part of the City's Climate Action Plan (Tucson Resilient Together).

The grant also includes a youth workforce development component to help Tucson create the green jobs of the future and develop the next generation of tree leaders to advocate and care for our urban forests.