Title
Authorizing the Department of Parks and Recreation to partner with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to submit a United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USDA-FS), State Urban Forest Resilience (SUFR) grant application for a total of $488,400 to address the critical need to restore and improve urban forests due to catastrophic losses from Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), which requires a minimum 1:1 match, of which the City of Saint Paul will be responsible for $100,000 satisfied by budgeted CIB funds for citywide tree planting.
Body
WHEREAS, the urban forest in the City of Saint Paul has been devastated by the EAB infestation for over a decade; and
WHEREAS, City budgets do not allow for assistance with tree planting costs on private properties; and
WHEREAS, private property trees are an integral part of the urban forest which include over half of the existing and potential urban tree canopy; and
WHEREAS, these grant funds provide a unique opportunity to assist with subsidized private tree sales; and
WHEREAS, the USDA-FS SUFR grant program is providing grants to state agencies who will pass funding through to Tree Trust, a local non-profit, and four municipalities including Saint Paul, to plant trees on public lands and private properties; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul currently has an annual Capital Improvement Budget (CIB) of $330,000 for citywide tree planting on public rights-of-way and parkland; and
WHEREAS, the USDA-FS requires a minimum 1:1 match for the grant, $100,000 of which the City of Saint Paul will be responsible for, that is satisfied by annual budgeted CIB funds; and
WHEREAS, matching funds will be used for planting on public properties only; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul’s Department of Parks and Recreation is seeking approval to partner with the DNR to submit a grant application requesting $488,400 through this program to provide $100,000 in funds for a subsidized priva...
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