A century-old conservation organization is funneling millions of dollars from the nation’s largest climate change bill to faith communities to plant trees in parts of the city that have long been overlooked and underserved. There is.
American Forests, the nation’s oldest national conservation organization, has launched the second round of its Tree Equity Catalyst Fund. The fund funnels more than $12 million from the Inflation Control Act’s hundreds of billions of dollars to faith- and community-based environmental justice organizations.
The Tree Equity Fund is part of American Forests’ goal to make significant progress in increasing tree canopy in 100 U.S. cities, especially in sparsely treed areas. Conservation organizations believe that to achieve full tree equity, meaning that trees and their many benefits are distributed equitably throughout the city for the betterment of all residents and communities, We estimate that more than 500 million new trees are needed in urban environments.
A total of $1.5 billion was allocated for urban forestry under the Inflation Control Act, with $360 billion of that allocated to addressing climate change and clean energy, making it the country’s largest investment in climate change in its history. This allocation represents a significant increase in federal tree spending, averaging $150 million per year over 10 years, compared to an average of $35 million to $40 million per year before the law was signed into law in August 2022. It becomes.
American Forests has secured $50 million in IRA funding from the U.S. Forest Service to redistribute to local partners, including through this latest grant fund.
A total of $8 million is available to faith organizations under the Tree Equity Catalyst Fund through an application process that began on September 30th and ends on October 25th. An additional $4.8 million is available for frontline environmental justice organizations. American Forests said it plans to award grants ranging from $100,000 to $1.5 million to 20 to 40 recipients.
Rida Aljabar, senior director of the American Forest Catalyst Initiative, said it was a “no-brainer” to partner with faith communities in the second round of the fund.
“Faith-based organizations and congregations are trusted community partners and anchors. They are the first responders to natural disasters, such as the one we are currently seeing in the South in the aftermath of Hurricane Helen. “Often,” she says. told Earthbeat.
The American Forest Fund aims to empower faith groups to increase tree canopy, especially in parts of cities that have historically suffered from discrimination and disinvestment.
Trees do more than just add beauty and color to your neighborhood. Improve quality of life by providing fresh air. Remove emissions from the atmosphere that cause pollution and global warming. Prevention of soil erosion and wash water. Provide habitat for animals. This is especially important in cities where the urban heat island effect traps heat and increases temperatures. Additionally, trees can add economic value to your home or neighborhood.
Aljabal said redlining and other discriminatory development policies have a significant impact on where trees are planted and where they are not.
“We know for sure that there is a direct correlation between redlining practices and today’s lack of trees and tree canopies. And decades later, we still We are grappling with the effects of that,” she told EarthBeat.
Data from American Forests’ Tree Equity Score tool — which maps the nation’s tree coverage in cities and urban areas, along with census data on race, income, heat exposure, and other social factors. On average, low-income neighborhoods have 26% less tree cover and temperatures 6 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than wealthier neighborhoods, and communities of color have 38% fewer trees and temperatures 6 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than white neighborhoods. 13 degrees high.
“It’s really a matter of life and death,” Aljabal said.
The first round of Tree Equity Fund donated more than $25 million to 33 local governments and three community-based organizations. In developing the second round, American Forests consulted with at least 12 faith-based organizations, including the Catholic Climate Covenant, Evangelical Environmental Network, Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake, and the National Religious Partnership for the Environment.
Cassandra Carmichael, executive director of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, told Earthbeat there is a strong interest in planting trees among many faith communities. She said they are ideal partners because they are often the linchpin of neighborhoods and a place people turn to in moments of crisis.
“The congregation is the hub of the community,” she said.
Her Washington, D.C.-based organization has partnered with organizations such as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and plans to apply for the U.S. Forest Grant. We have identified potential projects with congregations in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida.
Creation Justice Ministries, also based in Washington, D.C., plans to apply for funding as well. It is envisaged that some of the funding will be used to create resources and workshops for partners, as well as to provide grants for specific projects.
Avery Davis Lamb, co-executive director of Creation Justice Ministries, said faith communities have critical capital for tree planting that other institutions may lack: land capital, social capital through community connections, and It said it held “the moral capital to build the social and spiritual infrastructure we need.” For a climate-resilient future. ”
However, there are barriers to tree planting, including cost.
Growing a tree costs more than the rate at which the tree grows, which can cost hundreds of dollars depending on the type of tree. Costs include preparation and planning, education and training, planting and maintenance.
Planting in urban areas adds unique challenges. The environment is harsher and more stressful for trees, and roads and infrastructure pose a risk to tree health. This requires more planning and maintenance.
“If you’ve ever planted a tree, you can’t just stick it in the ground and say, ‘OK, that’s it.’ We have to maintain that,” Carmichael said.
While project location, size, and focus are key cost variables, individual projects that received $100,000 in grants from American Forests in the first round of funding planted between 229 and 600 trees. . Grant recipients will benefit from American Forests’ expertise in trees, education, and training.
Because the grants are based on federal funding with strict reporting requirements, the funds will be paid as reimbursements, making it easier for religious organizations and congregations to prepay costs or seek other funding sources. This could create new cost barriers.
“I understand why they did it. I don’t blame them for that, but this process is flawed,” Carmichael said. Apply for funding. ”
Other barriers to tree planting include a lack of awareness of the importance of trees to public health, a lack of training and resources to properly grow and maintain trees, and the challenge of linking tree planting to issues of justice and faith. It will be.
“It’s not immediately obvious why planting an oak tree on a church lawn is a matter of justice,” Lamb said. “There are several connections here, including threats to air quality, threats to heat stress, and the connection to the fact that redline maps overlap almost perfectly with tree canopy maps.”
Faith groups argue that while $8 million is not enough to solve the problem of tree inequality, it can bring about meaningful change in local communities.
Grants like American Forest’s can demonstrate to other funders that faith-based organizations will play an important role in future urban forestry efforts, Carmichael added.
“[To show that]yes, this is the script, and this is proof that we can actually do what we said we could do.”
