Resources
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Major forest health crises may be viewed as natural disasters that qualify for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster relief. And if other sorts of disasters might strike, funds allocated might be used to layer forest health activities on to normal FEMA-funded recovery programs.
FEMA’s also recognizes that healthy urban forests can mitigate future disasters. They encourage states and cities to recognize the role of trees and other nature-based solutions in their mandated Hazard Mitigation Plans.
And, as part of this shift toward nature-based solutions, FEMA acknowledges that sustaining tree canopy can both mitigate and stimulate recovery from disasters in their community resilience guide below.
Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
HUD provides substantial funding through the Community Development Block Grant program where communities have suffered from a presidentially declared disaster. These disaster recovery grants, CDBG-DR, can total millions, even billions.
They can support resilience-building projects that incorporate green infrastructure and nature-based solutions, including urban forestry. These efforts reduce future disaster risk while delivering environmental and community benefits. For example, funds may be used to create or restore natural buffers like wetlands, plant street trees to reduce urban heat, or develop green stormwater infrastructure such as bioswales and rain gardens. By integrating trees and other vegetation into recovery plans, communities enhance flood mitigation, improve air quality, and build long-term climate resilience.
Funding Opprotunities
Entity | Type | Primary Use | Examples |
USDA Forest Service – Forest Health Protection (FHP) | Federal | Monitoring, management, technical assistance | FHP grants to cities, Tribes, states |
USDA APHIS – Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) | Federal | Survey, monitoring, management | ALB & SLF eradication programs |
USDA Forest Service – Urban & Community Forestry (IRA) | Federal | Urban canopy resilience, equity, replanting | IRA grants (2023–2027) to urban areas |
FEMA – Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) | Federal | Disaster mitigation related to forest health | Post-EAB or storm-related removal projects |
NSF & EPA Research Grants | Federal | Research on pests, forest health, urban impact | Urban IPM and tree health modeling |
State Forestry Agencies | State | Implementation, replanting, EAB response | California UCF, NY EPF, MN Shade Tree Program |
City Budgets / Local Government | Local | Tree maintenance, emergency removal, planting | Minneapolis EAB Plan, NYC replanting budgets |
Stormwater Utilities / Tree Fees | Local | Ongoing maintenance and pest-related mitigation | Fee-supported pruning or replanting |
USDA Emergency Funds / Congressional Allocations | Federal | Eradication response, large-scale pest outbreaks | ALB emergency funding to NJ & MA |