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Nebraska Forest Service

Grants for Community Forestry Activities (Partnerships)

The Nebraska Forest Service administers or cooperates with several statewide partnership programs that provide the opportunity for financial assistance to communities for the purpose of planting and removing trees on public properties.  More information about each of these programs can be obtained by contacting the Nebraska Forest Service.  Forms on this page will require Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Maple Leaf IconNebraska Tree Recovery Program

The Nebraska Tree Recovery Program is intended to help communities remove and replace trees on public lands that have been severely damaged or destroyed by the extremes of Nebraska weather.  This program is approved annually by the state legislature.  Budget reductions in 2002 have eliminated this program for the foreseeable future.  The program may be reinstated at some point in the future.

For more information contact Rachel Allison or Chip Murrow.

Maple Leaf IconNebraska Community Forestry Assistance Program

The Nebraska Community Forestry Assistance program (CFA) provides special funding for one time projects in smaller communities.  This assistance can be used for tree planting, maintenance or removals.  It is intended to help smaller communities recover from storm damage as well as provide an opportunity to demonstrate good safety pruning practices.  The maximum grant is $5,000.00 and must be matched by the community on a 50/50 basis.  These funds fluctuate annually and projects are considered as they are submitted.  There is no deadline.

The application form may be downloaded here in PDF format.       

For more information contact Rachel Allison or Chip Murrow.

Maple Leaf IconNebraska Community Enhancement Program

The Nebraska Community Enhancement Program makes available federal transportation funds to assist communities and other public entities in Nebraska with the implementation of landscaping projects that improve the state’s transportation corridors. The program is funded by the Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) and administered by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Nebraska Forest Service (NFS) in cooperation with the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum (NSA).  Applications for the 2005-2006 program are now available.  You can download the files here in Adobe Acrobat.  For more information, including program guidelines and eligibility, and an application packet, please contact Sue Kohles (402-472-2212.)  Be sure to read the CEP do's and don'ts.  

Maple Leaf IconNebraska Green Space Stewardship Initiative

Funding from the Nebraska Environmental Trust has enabled the creation of the Nebraska Green Space Stewardship Initiative (GSI). The initiative offers communities information, technical assistance and funding to renew, renovate, or develop community green spaces based on environmentally-sound design and management practices. Eligible projects include parks, schoolyards, fairgrounds, campuses of post-secondary schools, and the grounds of libraries, courthouses, and other public buildings.  You may download the forms here in Adobe Acrobat.

  • Projects must demonstrate sustainable landscape practices.
  • Projects must benefit and be accessible to the general public. Typical project sites include parks, schoolyards, fairgrounds, college campuses, libraries, courthouses, and the grounds of other public buildings.
  • A maximum of $25,000 will be funded for any one project.
  • Grant funds can be used for plant material, installation, site preparation, design, appropriate hardscaping.
  • Contact Justin Evertson at (402) 472-5045 for more information.

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Maple Leaf IconNebraska Community Capacity Building

The Nebraska Forest Service (NFS), in cooperation with the Nebraska Community Forestry Council, will administer a partnership program to provide reimbursement funds for capacity building programs that promote and advance the cause of proper community forest management in Nebraska.

The program will be competitive and grant proposals will be reviewed and judged by the Nebraska Community Forestry Council with the NFS staff.  Grants may be awarded dependant upon funding by the USDA Forest Service.

There are two grant categories - Special Projects and Scholarships.

SPECIAL PROJECT GRANTS

Special project grants are for use by a community or community organization to help educate the public and/or a targeted audience about community forests, their importance and their proper management.  Print media, electronic media, workshops, train-the-trainer programs and brochures or pamphlets are all possible methods for communicating a message.  Grants could also be for room and board and/or mileage for a speaker to come to the community to lead a pruning workshop or give a planting seminar or any other forestry related workshop. It might be to finance the purchase of materials to be given out at a workshop or some type of special event (a county fair booth, state garden club convention, Master Gardener conference, etc.

All grant funds must be matched at least equally (dollar for dollar). This match may include in-kind donations, volunteer assistance, and /or private and public monetary contributions. All matching funds must be specifically related to the proposed projects. The source of matching funds must be identified.

SCHOLARSHIP GRANTS

Individuals may request scholarships to attend conferences, seminars or workshops. These grants are not to be matched dollar for dollar but must include a commitment to community service in the area of community forest management. In addition, the grant recipient will write a report summarizing the conference or workshop attended and may be asked to present these materials at a workshop. The summary report may be published in the Down The Shady Lane newsletter. Other creative methods of payback are possible but should include some way of getting the information from the event back to the local community.

Requests for scholarships must be received by the NFS a minimum of 60 days prior to the date of the scholarship event. Individuals may request registration fees, workshop fees and tour fees. Travel expenses are generally not funded.

For more information about these grant programs (including application procedures) contact Eric Berg, Community Forester, 107 Plant Industry, UNL-EC, Lincoln, NE 68583 (402)472-6511.

Maple Leaf IconOther Programs and Assistance Available

There are many places to seek out grants for community forestry activities including tree planting.  Here are some resources for you to consider:

  • Special Projects, University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension maintains an up to date list of funding agencies and foundations.  Visit their web site at http://specialprojects.unl.edu/. 

  • Contact your local Natural Resources District.  Each NRD has their own unique opportunities for grants and funding.  You can find out more about your local NRD including addresses and phone numbers at the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts.

  • The Local Government Environmental Assistance Network (LGEAN) is also a good source of information for grants and partnership programs.

  • The Foundation Center is an independent nonprofit information clearinghouse whose mission is to foster greater public understanding of what foundations actually are.  The Center collects, organizes, analyzes, and disseminates information about foundations, corporate giving, and other related subjects.  You can learn more about this useful center by visiting their web site at http://fdncenter.org/

  • The federal government now has a central site for all federal grants.  You can search for specific grants or do a general search.  Go to http://grants.gov.

  • The Environmental Grantmaker Association is another good link that may lead you to the resources you need. The EGA is a voluntary association of foundations and giving programs concerned with the protection of the natural environment.

  • The Nebraska Department of Economic Development has funds available for community based projects that involve cooperation between more than one community and must demonstrate sustainability or build the area's economic development capacity.  For more information and forms contact Ken Shea at the DED.

  • The Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund has grant funds available.  Their web page with application forms is located within the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission's web site, or you can contact Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund, 2200 N. 33rd St., Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370 (402-471-5409) or email at trust@ngpsun.ngpc.state.ne.us.

  • Grants are available from the National Tree Trust.  More information and grant application forms can be obtained from the NTT by calling 800-846-8733.

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