By Nicolle R. Spafford – DNR Urban Forestry Grants Manager
Beginning July 1, 2025, cities, villages, towns, counties, tribes and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in –or conducting their projects in – Wisconsin can apply for a regular or startup 2026 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Urban Forestry grant. The total 2026 available funding is $559,680, with a possible release of $139,920 of catastrophic storm reserve to fund a second round in March 2027.
Regular Urban Forestry grants range from $1,000 to $25,000, and grant recipients must match each grant dollar for dollar. These grants fund projects that improve a community’s capacity to manage its trees (e.g., management plans, ordinances, staff training, tree board development, inventories and public education) and projects that help conserve, protect, expand or improve the urban forest resource (e.g., planting, hazard tree removal, pest control).
Startup Urban Forestry grants range from $1,000 to $5,000, and grant recipients must match each grant dollar for dollar. These grants are available for communities that want to start or restart a community forestry program. Regular and startup grants are awarded to projects aligning with state and national goals for increasing the urban forest canopy and its benefits.
The application deadline is Oct. 1, 2025. For more information, visit the Urban Forestry Grants webpage.
If you have questions regarding the application process and eligible projects, contact your DNR urban forestry coordinator.
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