Discussion and possible action to: a) accept a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service through the Inflation Reduction Act – Urban and Community Forestry, in the amount of $200,000 to increase the City’s tree canopy coverage in the Parks and Recreation footprint; and b) enter into the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service’s Inflation Reduction Act – Urban and Community Forestry Grant funding agreement; and c) authorize a budget amendment of $200,000 from Contingency Fund to the Parks and Recreation Grants Fund.

In April 2023, under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Forest Service received a historic $1.5 billion for its Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) program to support tree-planting, urban forest planning and management, and related activities, particularly in disadvantaged communities. 

Following a competitive application process, the Forest Service has announced more than $1 billion in grants to community-based organizations, local and state governments, agencies and other governmental entities, tribes and tribal organizations, nonprofit organizations, public institutions of higher education, and community-based organizations.

The Parks and Recreation Department received a grant award to fund the City’s Community Forest Project.  This project will replace trees lost due to extreme weather and increase the City’s tree canopy coverage, providing much needed shade. The project is in conjunction with the departmet’s turf reduction program that will replace turfgrass with low water use trees in the parks’ landscapes. 

This project consists of three main components:

1.      Inventory: A comprehensive, Citywide update to the tree inventory system.

2.      Tree Planting and Stump removal: An arborist company will plant the trees in accordance with International Society of Arborist standards.  This includes planting, staking the trees, and providing a one year warranty on all planted trees. The City’s tree inventory will be updated with each planting.

3.      Irrigation modifications:  Irrigation modifications will occur in collaboration with turfgrass conversion for successful establishment of the trees in these landscapes.

The Parks and Recreation Department is working with a National Pass-Through Partner of the Forest Service named Hispanic Access Foundation to execute the grant project.

There has been no previous action on this item.

Staff recommends that City Council: a) accept the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service’s Inflation Reduction Act – Urban and Community Forestry Grant; b) enter into a funding agreement with US Forest Service; and c) approve a budget amendment in the amount of  $200,000 from Contingency to the Parks and Recreation Grants Fund.

This budget amendment has no fiscal impact to the City and there is no matching fund requirement. The amendment is to provide expenditure authority for funds received through a grant.