Forestry - FY27 UCF EPA Community Forestry Initiative (UFI)

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Working Landscapes: Urban and Community Forestry Initiative Guidelines

Program Overview

The urban and community forestry initiative is designed to expand and enhance urban and community forests across Montana through large scale tree plantings. Led by The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), the program will support projects that deliver clear urban forestry benefits through increased species diversity, shelter belts, agroforestry, and education across Montana’s communities.

Contact Information

Alexis Armstrong 

Program Manager, Urban and Community Forestry 

alexis.armstrong@mt.gov  

(406) 542-4207

Urban and Community Forestry Initiative

Request for Proposals 

Legislative Authority 

The Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) Program was established under Section 60114 of the Inflation Reduction Act, Climate Pollution Reduction Grants, 42 U.S. Code § 7437, signed on August 16, 2022. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the federal awarding agency facilitating the grant program. The State of Montana’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) is the recipient (pass‑through entity) of the federal award for the CPRG Implementation Grant EPA‑R‑OAR‑CPRG‑23‑07.      

Executive Summary 

DNRC’s Urban and Community Forestry program promotes best management practices for planting, maintaining, and protecting community forests. The Working Landscapes Urban and Community Forestry Initiative supports opportunities for larger projects with broader, more measurable community-level impacts focusing on carbon sequestration and increasing urban forest canopy. Projects funded through this initiative build on the existing program and will expand tree canopy in Montana communities, helping to improve air and water quality, provide shade and green infrastructure, and support healthier neighborhoods. Led by the DNRC, the initiative will invest $5 million in subawards to support approximately 20–70 urban and community forestry projects across the state. These projects will prioritize carbon sequestration through large‑scale tree planting, tree establishment, and long‑term tree care to produce measurable benefits for Montana residents and communities.

Urban and community trees provide shade that reduce energy use, improve air quality, help manage stormwater, and create healthier, more livable neighborhoods. Many Montana communities face aging tree canopies, limited resources for tree planting and maintenance, and disproportionate climate and air‑quality impacts. By funding large‑scale, community‑driven tree planting projects, the initiative aims to plant 100,000 trees over the grant period, contributing to emission reduction targets while supporting public health and local economic vitality. Funded projects will report qualitative outcomes, metrics, and community benefits to demonstrate progress toward these goals.

Primary Objectives 

  • Implement large-scale tree planting to establish 100,000 trees and woody shrubs that improve community resilience and support healthier, more sustainable landscapes. 
  • Increase urban and community tree canopy cover by an estimated 1–3% in participating communities.      

Eligible Entities 

  • State and local governments
  • Conservation districts
  • Tribal governments
  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Public and state institutions of higher education 
  • School districts and K-12 public schools

 Available Funding

  • Total funds available for subawards: $5 million
  • Minimum: $20,000 award
  • Maximum: $300,000 award; multiple applications allowed while funds remain available

Funding Opportunity Dates

  • Applications will be available online beginning WHEN DATE KNOWN.
  • Proposals will be reviewed and prioritized collaboratively by a panel. The panel members will independently evaluate responses. Panel members will jointly discuss their evaluations, and a consensus will be reached as to which project(s) may receive funding. DNRC reserves the right to request further information from any applicant as needed.
  • The first panel review will take place on or about September 1, 2026. After the initial round of proposals are reviewed, if funding remains, additional proposals will be reviewed in the order received up until the final submission deadline of April 30, 2027. The panel may choose to immediately award funding to a proposal, may reject a proposal for funding, or may choose to place a proposal in a pending approval status. Pending approval proposals may or may not be subsequently awarded funds and may be passed-over for funding in favor of a later submission that the panel deems to have more merit. 

General Compliance

Awarded projects must comply with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations and with the terms and conditions of the grant award. The subrecipient must comply with the Inflation Reduction Act (Public Law 117‑169), which amended the Clean Air Act (CAA) (42 U.S.C. § 7401 et seq.) to include Section 137 (42 U.S.C. § 7437); the federal cost principles, post‑award, and audit requirements at 2 CFR Part 200; and the excluded and disqualified participant requirements at 2 CFR Part 180, Subpart C. DNRC’s subawards comply with the EPA Subaward Policy including but not limited to:

  • Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and other federal statutes and regulations prohibiting discrimination in federal financial assistance programs, as applicable. 
  • Limitations on individual consultant fees as set forth in 2 CFR 1500.9.
  • EPA’s prohibition on paying management fees. EPA policy prohibits recipients and subrecipients from charging management fees or making similar arrangements to receive EPA financial assistance in excess of direct or federally approved indirect cost rates.
  • The Procurement Standards in 2 CFR Part 200 including those requiring competition when the subrecipient acquires goods and services from contractors (including consultants).

Measurable Impact

Projects must demonstrate measurable expansion and long-term stewardship of healthy urban and community forests. Projects funded through this program are expected to collectively plant approximately 20,000 trees per year, achieving a total of 100,000 trees over the project period. At a minimum, projects are expected to contribute to an estimated reduction of 0.720 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030, along with associated energy savings and air quality benefits.

All tree planting projects funded under this program are required to follow best management practices for tree planting, as outlined in the companion publication to ANSI A300 Part6: Tree, Shrub, and Other Woody Plant Maintenance – Standard Practices (Transplanting). Adherence to these standards is mandatory and will be used to evaluate the project implementation and compliance.

Tree costs are limited to a maximum of $70 per tree. This limitation is in place to meet requirements imposed by the funding source and required deliverables. This amount must include all expenses associated with the purchase and establishment of the tree, including the seedling, planting, and any necessary establishment supplies.

Activities may include, but are not limited to:

  • Design and installation of windbreaks and shelterbelts that provide community benefits such as reduced energy use, improved air quality, and enhanced comfort and safety in public spaces. 
  • Identification and prioritization of areas with low tree canopy, followed by strategic tree planting to increase shade, reduce urban heat, and address canopy inequities.
  • Establishment or expansion of food forests, community orchards and other multifunctional plantings that provide shade, sequester carbon, support local food systems, and improve resilience. 
  • Implement pilot projects that demonstrate practices such as stormwater mitigation, pollution-control plantings, or riparian revegetation within or near urban areas to show how trees and vegetation can reduce environmental risks.

Eligible Expenses 

Any expenses under this subaward must be allowable under 2 CFR 200.400 and related provisions. Costs must be necessary and reasonable for the performance of the federal subaward and may include direct and indirect costs such as:

 Ineligible Expenses Include

Secretary of State Registration

All non-governmental entities must be registered as a business with the Montana Secretary of State (Montana Secretary of State Website). If your organization is not registered when your application is reviewed, your application will be denied.                  

UEI Number

The applicant entity must have a federal Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and be eligible to receive federal funds (i.e., not debarred or suspended). A UEI can be obtained free of charge at: SAM.Gov Website Registration.

Reporting Requirements

Reporting and award closeout requirements will be identified in the subaward agreement.

Equal Opportunity Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations and policies, the EPA and institutions participating in or administering EPA programs are prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Additional information is available at EPA Policy, Regulations and Guidance Page.

Definition of a Project

A project is a set of interrelated tasks with a cohesive, specified, and defined goal. It follows a planned, organized approach over a fixed period and within specific limitations (e.g., cost and performance/quality). It uses resources specifically allocated to the work of the project and usually involves a team of people.

Projects differ from ongoing operations in that they have a limited duration with a clear beginning and end, and typically represent expansion, improvement, or innovation. Each project has an overarching goal that the applicant seeks to accomplish through a series of activities or tasks.

Dissemination of Information

Projects must include a plan to share information with the public so that efforts are transparent and, where appropriate, reproducible. This may include hosting field days and tours and/or publishing and disseminating information at conferences and meetings.

Additional Information and Resources

 

We use Submittable to accept and review our submissions.
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