Community Forestry Grant

For assistance with applications and grant questions please contact your local service forester.

The Resource Conservation & Forestry Division created the Community Forestry Grant to distribute a portion of the Urban and Community Forestry Program funds from the US Forest Service to communities within South Dakota. Through this program, communities are awarded grants to help with a specific forestry problem, along with promoting community forests and their importance. The grant must be matched by the community or organization that receives the award. Communities in South Dakota are challenged to increase their commitment to community trees and achieve a higher effort in conservation."

"Through the Urban & Community Forestry Program, the division has provided financial assistance to our communities each year since 1991. A portion of the division's annual allocation of Urban and Community Forestry Assistance funds from the US Forest Service is awarded to communities in the form of Community Forestry grants.

These grants are used to fund community forestry projects that solve a specific community forestry problem or demonstrate the importance of trees in our communities. The community or service organization must match Community Forestry grants.

The Division has developed the Community Forestry grant program to require increased commitment and effort from a community. The criteria for the Community Forestry grant are outlined below:

  1. Professional Services — ($5,000)
  2. Tree Inventory/Assessment — ($5,000)
  3. Existing Tree Care & Maintenance — ($5,000)
  4. Education/Training — ($5,000)
  5. New Tree Planting — ($5,000)
  6. Urban Food Forest ($5,000)
  7. Other Activities — ($5,000)

Grants have a maximum limit of $5,000. The required match may be met through volunteer labor, donated and/or purchased supplies, or actual cash expenditures.

Grant applications will be accepted at any time during the year. Applications will only be considered in the current or upcoming grant round dependent on the date of your application. The annual grant round will begin September 1st each year and will be open for approximately 1 month. Application forms are available below, or by contacting the DANR Resource Conservation and Forestry Division."