Title
Authorizing the Department of Parks and Recreation to apply for, and if awarded, accept grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program to invest in forestry planning, planting, and management of the tree canopy throughout Saint Paul.
Body
WHEREAS, U.S. Department of Agriculture - Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Program is a technical, financial, and educational assistance program, delivering nature-based solutions to ensure a resilient and equitable tree canopy where more than 84 percent of Americans live; and
WHEREAS, The UCF Program assists forestry agencies and partner organizations in addressing and applying nature-based solutions to chronic and emergent economic, social, and environmental challenges in communities across the United States by providing direct funding to communities and especially to communities experiencing low urban tree canopy, dead and hazardous tree conditions, extreme heat and severe flooding, and limited awareness of or access to green job workforce to help them; and
WHEREAS, The UCF Program is providing up to $1 billion in grant opportunities through the Inflation Reduction Act - Urban & Community Forestry to fund increased and equitable access to urban tree canopy benefits, broadened community engagement in local urban forest planning and activities, and improved urban forest resilience to climate change throughout the country; and
WHERAS, State and local government organizations, non-profit organizations, community-based organizations, and public institutions of higher education are eligible for these UCF Funds with maximum available funding per organization of up to $50 million; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Parks and Recreation is requesting permission to apply for said funding to support a variety of eligible forestry uses over the next 5 years, including, continuation and expansion of the forestry training and jobs program, increased long-term urban forestry and natural resource planning and assessment, and opportunities to protect, enhance and expand equitable urban tree canopy cover in disadvantaged communities; and
WHEREAS, grant funds would allow the Department of Parks and Recreation to increase and enhance existing efforts to successfully manage Saint Paul’s aging urban tree canopy; and
WHEREAS, the match requirement is waived for proposals that deliver 100% of the funding/program benefits to disadvantaged communities, with any other work requiring a 1for1 local match; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Parks and Recreation will submit a proposal that will largely target disadvantaged communities and neighborhoods throughout Saint Paul thereby not requiring a local match, with any other proposed work that requires a match being satisfied by existing adopted Department of Parks and Recreation budgets in Forestry; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Saint Paul authorizes the Department of Parks and Recreation to apply for, and if awarded, accept said grant from the Inflation Reduction Act through the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program.