Community Forest Corps Program (CFC)

USDN Awards Community Forest Corps and Urban Forestry Fellow Grants To 15 Cities and Non-Profit Organizations

USDN was selected in November 2023 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service as a pass through organization responsible for regranting $22.4 million to cities across the U.S. to advance urban forestry in their communities. In the first round of grants awarded, 25 cities were selected to receive a total of $16.8 million. In November 2024, USDN completed the second round of grants and selected 15 additional cities and non-profit organizations a total of $5.5 million in grants.

The Community Forest Corps program was created to help empower front-line communities to address heat risks through youth-led, nature-based solutions. The program aims to mitigate the impacts of extreme heat, enhance urban forests, promote tree survival, and achieve "tree equity" by ensuring the benefits of urban forestry are distributed equitably, particularly in historically underserved areas.

The Urban Forestry Fellowship program stems from USDN’s commitment to using our positional power and influence to attract, train, and retain members from communities underrepresented in the sustainability field, particularly Black, Indigenous, and People of Color practitioners. This program advances equity, diversity, and inclusion by supporting local government and community based organizations as they work towards dismantling cultural and systemic barriers to inclusion.

“This program will help make big strides to plant more urban trees, generate more livable wage job opportunities, and develop climate-resilient neighborhoods for residents. I am looking forward to seeing all of the wonderful things our grantees accomplish with these funds,” said Samira Malone, National Urban Forestry Portfolio Lead at USDN.

Stay tuned for program updates and success stories in the coming months!