Trees for Communities Grant Program
The Trees for Communities Grant Program addresses the uneven distribution of tree canopy across Connecticut by providing financial support for urban forestry projects in communities of need. Projects must increase tree cover or contribute to other urban forestry objectives such as improvement of forest health or utilization of urban wood. Projects must be rooted in community support and demonstrate efforts to meaningfully incorporate community needs into project design.
The Trees for Communities Grant Program supports a variety of urban and community forestry projects including but not limited to:
Tree planting on private lands with permission of landowner
A previously awarded project called “Live Here- Love Trees” program from the Town of Vernon.
Engaging groups in urban forest planning and planting
A series of visioning and community meetings held in Bridgeport, CT.
Work force development
A “GreenSkills Program” from New Haven, CT
Invasive species management
An invasive removal workshop in New Haven called "De-Vining: Removing Invasive Plants and Protecting Native Trees and Understory".
Urban wood utilization
A “Wood Material Management Program” in Hartford, CT.
Impervious surface removal to create space for tree planting
You may also wish to review the Urban and Community Forestry Grants Accomplishments page with additional examples of previously funded projects in Connecticut. Projects must demonstrate direct benefit to communities indicated in DEEP’s Urban Forestry Grant Screening Tool.
This program is accepting applications now through August 31, 2025, at 5:00 PM. Questions will be accepted through July 17th and a FAQ will be published to this page by July 24th. Recipients will be notified of their awards by October 31st, 2025, by email.
See the Request for Proposals and Grant Application. Grant applications are hosted through Survey123; if you need special accommodations for your submission, reach out to DEEP.UCF.Grants@ct.gov. The grant application will ask for detailed budget and timeline information; we strongly recommend using these Timeline and Budget templates to submit this information.
Program Support
The program will be offering an informational webinar on July 8th, 2025, at 4:30 PM to provide an overview of the program, discuss eligible projects, and answer questions. Registration is required: Register here.
In addition, biweekly virtual office hours for ongoing guidance and project development support are available. Office hours will be held at 3:30 PM on the following dates. They do not require registration: Join office hours here.
June 26th 3:30 - 4:30 pm EST
July 10th 3:30 - 4:30 pm EST
July 24th 3:30 - 4:30 pm EST
August 7th 3:30 - 4:30 pm EST
August 21st 3:30 - 4:30 pm EST
Reach out to DEEP.UCF.Grants@ct.gov for more information
Content last updated June 2025.