DEP Caps Earth Week and Celebrates Arbor Day by Awarding Nearly $8.7 Million in Urban and Community Forestry Grants to Overburdened Communities

(24/P015) TRENTON -Building upon the Murphy Administration's commitment to advancing environmental justice and addressing the impacts of climate change on public health, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection today marked Arbor Day and capped its celebration of Earth Week by awarding nearly $8.7 million in grants to support tree management programs and urban and community forestry training for municipal employees and community volunteers in overburdened communities.

Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced the award of the Leafing Out grants during the NJDEP Forest Service's Arbor Day tree planting and Earth Week event in Camden, held in partnership with the New Jersey Tree Foundation. Ten communities, including Camden, each received $850,000 for tree management programs, while another 12 received a combined total of $150,000 for municipal employees and engaged community volunteers to attend urban and community forestry-related training events.

The grant awards cap DEP's celebration of Earth Week, which began Monday on Earth Day with the release of the state's draft Extreme Heat Resilience Action Plan and an enhanced iteration of Heat Hub NJ. One of the important action items in the plan is protecting and expanding urban tree canopies in the state to mitigate the impacts of climate change. The DEP this week also announced $117 million in recommended Green Acres funding for parks, community recreation and open space preservation across New Jersey.

"We are proud to join with our partners here in Camden and across the state in raising awareness about the importance of trees in making overburdened communities healthier and in mitigating the impacts of climate change," said Commissioner LaTourette. "Trees help cool and beautify our communities, filter air pollutants, mitigate the effects of flooding, and capture and store greenhouse gases. As we celebrate Arbor Day and conclude our celebration of Earth Week, we commit to continuing the work of making all of our communities more livable and healthier through the planting and stewardship of trees and forests."

"By investing in urban forests today, we're planting the seeds for healthier, more resilient communities," said U.S. Senator Cory Booker. "I was proud to support the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which made significant investments into urban tree planting. These grants will helpNew Jersey's municipalities plant and maintain more trees in low-income census blocks, where residents need them the most. I look forward to seeing the positive impact these urban forests will have on cooling neighborhoods, purifying the air and water supply, and reducing local flooding and runoff."

"These Leafing Out grants to support urban and community forests are a welcome addition to the increasing acknowledgment of the need for trees and greenspace to combat urban heat and make our urban communities more livable," said Fifth District Senator Nilsa Cruz-Perez. "Aside from their aesthetic benefits, a healthy urban tree canopy contributes to reduced heat, cleaner air, and lower energy usage for cooling. I look forward to seeing these grants assist in the development and maintenance of more urban trees and greenspaces for our residents to enjoy."

"Camden is grateful to Governor Murphy and his administration for awarding this grant and for their continued efforts to support environmental renewal in urban areas throughout the state," said Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen. "It is appropriate that we make this important announcement during Earth Week. I feel trees can be a catalyst for transforming our urban communities. The City of Camden has been working tirelessly with many partners to transition from an industrial center to a much cleaner and greener city. This grant will help further beautify our neighborhoods, combat climate change, and provide residents with the improved quality of life they deserve."

"Trees are an incredible asset to our communities, reducing cooling costs, removing pollutants from the air and providing a habitat and shelter for wildlife," said Camden County Commissioner Jeff Nash. "Investing in urban forestry is a key component to combatting climate change and we are so grateful to the Murphy Administration for seeing the need for this."

"Too many times, urban communities are left without any sort of tree coverage, creating extreme heat and in turn, negatively impacting the lives of residents," said Camden County Commissioner Jonathan Young. "With this grant, we can correct this long-standing problem and provide some relief to those who call Camden City their home. In order to mitigate the effects of climate change, all communities must be considered, and I am thankful that Camden is being considered a priority when it comes to expanding greenery in New Jersey."

Leafing Out Grant Awards in Detail

Funding for the grants is provided by the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service's Urban and Community Forestry Program. The Leafing Out grants will fund the development of tree inventories and community forest management plans, urban forestry training, priority tree maintenance and hazard tree removals, and tree plantings. The grants will allow municipalities to increase their resilience to the impacts of climate change, most notably extreme heat.

"Through historic funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, the Forest Service is supporting projects that will substantially increase urban tree cover in New Jersey, while creating job opportunities," said Tony Dixon, USDA Forest Service Eastern Regional Forester."The many benefits of increased canopy cover will be felt in cities and neighborhoods throughout New Jersey because of the great work that you are about to do, and we are proud to support you."

Eligible municipalities were comprised entirely of overburdened census blocks and disadvantaged census tracts as identified by New Jersey's Environmental Justice Law and the Federal Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, per 2022 data.

The following municipalities were each awarded $850,000 in grants:

• Atlantic City, Atlantic County
• Camden City, Camden County
• Egg Harbor City, Atlantic County
• Hillside, Union County
• Kearny, Hudson County
• Newark, Essex County
• North Plainfield, Somerset County
• Orange, Essex County
• Trenton, Mercer County
• Woodbine, Cape May County

Of the $850,000, the DEP Forest Service expects each grant to roughly be spent on $50,000 for inventory and community forest management plan development, $400,000 for tree-related maintenance activities and $400,000 for tree planting.

Additionally, a total of $150,000 in Leafing Out grants were provided to 12 municipalities to help municipal employees, along with engaged community volunteers, to build their knowledge of urban forestry and arboriculture over a four-year period by attending conferences and other educational programs. These efforts seek to broaden community engagement in local urban forest planning, tree planting and management activities.

"The following municipalities received $12,500 each:

• Atlantic City, Atlantic County
• Camden City, Camden County
• Dover, Morris County
• Egg Harbor City, Atlantic County
• Hillside, Union County
• Kearny, Hudson County
• Newark, Essex County
• North Plainfield, Somerset County
• Orange, Essex County
• South Hackensack, Bergen County
• Trenton, Mercer County
• Woodbine, Cape May County

Arbor Day Celebration

During the Forest Service's Arbor Day celebration, 16 trees were planted in Farnham Park in the Parkside neighborhood of Camden City. In addition, the New Jersey Tree Foundation ran a fruit tree giveaway to distribute 150 trees to local residents.

The giveaway is funded by the New York Red Bulls (a Major League Soccer club based in New Jersey) and the New Jersey Tree Foundation's Inflation Reduction Act grant award through the USDA Forest Service. It is the first of many planned to help increase tree canopy on private properties in Camden.

"The New Jersey Tree Foundation has been planting trees alongside volunteers in Camden City for over 20 years, and we are thrilled to be here to assist in hosting the state's Arbor Day celebration," said NJ Tree Foundation Executive Director Pam Zipse. "Today we are working with volunteers to bring more trees to Farnham Park, to ensure that as the older trees in the park reach the end of their service life, there will be young trees to take their place and maintain the park's canopy."

The Many Benefits of Trees

New Jersey, with large expanses of asphalt, concrete and urban development, is particularly vulnerable to increased temperatures, known as the urban heat island effect. Vulnerable populations include the elderly, outdoor workers, and low-income families who cannot afford air conditioning, as well as those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and people with pre-existing conditions or those taking medications that affect the body's ability to thermoregulate.

Newly planted trees and the enhanced management and maintenance of existing trees will help reduce the urban heat-island effect, improve air and water quality, increase resilience to pests and mitigate flooding from more frequent and intense storm events.

"This significant infusion of funding presents an amazing opportunity to assist communities most in need of conserving, restoring and enhancing their urban tree canopy," said John Cecil, Assistant Commissioner for State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites."Urban trees provide fundamental services of cleaning the air and water and cooling the temperature. They also can bring joy to residents by providing shade, inspiring a school student on their daily walk and even a perch and nesting spot for songbirds and butterflies, inviting nature to the neighborhood."

"Our urban areas lack green spaces and tree canopies to mitigate the harmful effects of extreme heat due to climate change, and residents experience more cases of heat-related illnesses and deaths than those in rural and suburban towns," said Kandyce Perry, Director of the Office of Environmental Justice. "The DEP's Leafing Out grants help these communities better support the well-being of their residents and receive training to ensure their urban forests provide important health, environmental and economic benefits."

"The funding to support training to enhance the management of a municipalities local tree resource is a valuable opportunity as urban trees sequester carbon and help mitigate the effects of flooding and extreme heat," said Todd Wyckoff, New Jersey State Forester. "Training opportunities include the New Jersey Forest Service's CORE Training, the New Jersey Shade Tree Federation's annual conference and the New Jersey Arborist's Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture's annual conference."

Extreme Heat Resilience

The Forest Service actively supports measures to mitigate extreme heat as identified in the draft Extreme Heat Resilience Action Plan developed by the state's Interagency Council on Climate Resilience. These actions include, but are not limited to, engaging with property owners to promote urban tree canopy on private property, improving tree canopy assessments and updating community forestry management guidelines so municipalities are better equipped to address the impacts of our changing climate.

"As we continue to see warmer temperatures and worsening flooding due to climate change, community forests will be an increasingly valuable asset, especially in our urban communities that often see these climate impacts first and worst," said Nick Angarone, New Jersey Chief Resilience Officer."I'm happy to see the support for expansion and maintenance of urban green spaces as part of our larger commitment to creating a more resilient New Jersey."

The public can learn more about extreme heat and its impacts by visiting Heat Hub NJ, a user-friendly online resource featuring infographics, videos, charts and more.

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