The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus announces the recipients of the Mitigating Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Impacts on the Urban Forest municipal grants. The Caucus administers this program with funds from the US Forest Service through their Urban and Community Forestry; and Forest Health Cooperative Programs and through the US EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). To assist communities in managing urban forest resources that are impacted by EAB, these types of grants are made:
- Reforestation Grants to plant trees to replace ash trees
- Technical Assistance Grants to inventory trees and produce EAB management plans, and;
- Wood Utilization Grants to enable the reclamation of wood products from felled ash trees.
A total of 158 applications from 132 different municipalities were received seeking $2,293,922.90 in assistance (see Figure 1). A team of 27 independent reviewers representing academia, state and federal agencies, non-profit groups and other technical and civic experts carefully evaluated applications to make the best possible awards from the $495,000 available. Applicants did not fail to show their commitment, proposing a total of $9,123,722.04 in local matching funds.
