Challenge Grants

• Funding from $1000 – $5000, matches may be in-kind services.
   
• Geared to projects in public spaces and right-of-ways.
   
• Aimed at supporting municipal tree inventories, and tree planting.
   
• Available for the planting of trees in public places (streets, parks, and other public lands such as municipal parking lots, riparian areas, roadside gateways)
   
  Examples:
   

• Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority planted trees along Harrisburg streets.
   
• Factoryville Borough formed a shade tree commission and pledged to undertake a street tree inventory and develop a shade tree ordinance in the future. Awarded $1000 (based on community population) and planted 15 trees along their streets and several adjacent to the municipal building parking lot for shade.
   
• The City of Williamsport was awarded $4000 for street tree plantings to replace hazardous trees (mostly decayed silver maples) removed through another project, following an inventory they completed with Penn College forestry students.
   
• The Laporte Borough Shade Tree Commission was awarded a $1000 Challenge grant to plant 20 bare root hydrogel-dipped trees at a gateway along a State Route that enters the borough.
   
• C.W. Henry Elementary School, Philadelphia, in partnership with school neighbors, were awarded a grant to purchase and plant trees on streets bordering their school yard. Bartlett Tree Experts, Fairmont Park, Philadelphia Water Authority, and Philadelphia Horticultural Society provided in-kind support by conducting training on tree planting and care, cutting tree pits, and donating replacement soil for the pits.
  
  The Scott Township Environmental Advisory Council was awarded a $3000 community improvement grant to work with scouts, little league, volunteer fireman, and others to plant trees in the park and to shade parking lots. Several educational programs were developed, including a training the day of the planting. By providing research-based information about the benefits of trees in parking lots, the township supervisors are now considering making trees a requirement for any new parking lots, including redesigning their existing lot at the municipal building.
   

Click here to download the Challenge Grants Program.doc