Funds Available for Community Landscape Improvements

Thanks to funding from the Nebraska Environmental Trust, the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum is in its third year of the Trees for Nebraska Towns (TNT) program. This program provides matching funds and technical assistance to public tree planting projects in Nebraska communities. The focus is on large-maturing trees and species diversity. Funds are available for fall 2020/spring 2021 projects and communities are invited to apply. The maximum request per project is $20,000.

TNT works to enhance community forests while addressing various environmental challenges. The goals of this program include reversing the decline of community forests and increasing a wide range of economic, environmental, aesthetic and social benefits provided by well-designed landscapes. TNT also strives to increase the appreciation and awareness of community forest benefits and challenges. This program advance the Environmental Trust’s priorities of improving the state’s habitat and air, soil and water quality.

To be eligible, projects must provide clear public benefit and be located within or near the incorporated limits of a Nebraska community. Typical planting sites include but are not limited to street trees, parks, schools, college campuses, libraries, courthouses, fairgrounds and cemeteries. Funds are not available for homeowners, however individuals interested in coordinating a neighborhood-wide project can apply for funding through a neighborhood association or other organization.

TNT Coordinator Kendall Weyers said there’s never been a better year to plant trees, “In this time even more than others, we recognize the shelter, beauty and restoration our landscapes can offer.”

To encourage more planting, Weyers also recommends applying for “Free Trees for Fall Planting,” which offers up to 10 trees per project and was designed for projects that don’t quite fit the TNT program. For this grant, recipients need to conduct public outreach efforts, and Weyers especially encourages this program for higherneed neighborhoods. The trees offered by this program are small enough to be manageable by volunteers, but big enough to have neighborhood impact.

Applications for both grant programs are due July 31. Applications for TNT are at https://plantnebraska.org/TNT and “Free Trees” is at https:// plantnebraska.org/freetrees.

For more information on TNT contact Kendall Weyers at 402-472-6693 or kweyers2@unl.edu.