Booker and USDA, White House Officials Announce Historic Funding to Expand Access to Trees and Green Spaces in Disadvantaged Urban Communities

Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Dr. Homer Wilkes, and White House Senior Advisor for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation John Podesta announced $1 billion in grants will be made available to expand access to urban nature, combat the climate crisis, and advance environmental justice.

Booker, Wilkes, and Podesta were joined by Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-N.J.), NJDEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette, and environmental and forestry organizations in Lincoln Park in downtown Newark for the announcement, which included the planting of a tree.

The grants are part of a $1.5 billion investment in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program from President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act and will be made available to community-based organizations, tribes, municipal and state governments, nonprofit partners, universities, and other eligible entities as they work to increase tree cover in urban spaces and boost equitable access to nature while bolstering resilience to extreme heat, storm-induced flooding, and other climate impacts. In addition to the grant funding, the USDA Forest Service is providing up to $250 million to states and territories--including $11.25 million to New Jersey--to further local efforts to support urban communities through equitable access to trees and the benefits they provide.

This historic level of investment will enable the Forest Service to support projects to improve public health, increase access to nature, and deliver real economic and ecological benefits to cities, towns and tribal communities across the country.

"Since my days as Mayor of Newark, I have seen the transformative impact that trees can have for urban communities," said Senator Booker. "Studies have shown that trees save families money in heating and cooling costs, reduce air and water pollution, decrease the risk of respiratory illnesses like asthma, reduce flooding, and protect people from extreme heat. The Inflation Reduction Act's $1.5 billion allocation to the Urban and Community Forestry Program will help us plant more trees across our communities, with a focus on overlooked and disadvantaged areas. This historic investment will help us tackle the most pernicious effects of climate change, move us closer to remedying environmental injustices, and pay dividends for generations to come."

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