(Photo via Unsplash).
The City of Cortland recently received a grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), according to a release.
The grant, which totaled to $52,000, will be used for Cortland’s tree inventory and management plan. The funds come from grant awards totaling $978,820 for urban forest assessment and planning projects across New York State. Cortland was one of 18 municipalities to receive grant funding.
According to DEC’s release, the projects “provide urban forest managers with an essential baseline understanding of urban forest conditions and support strategies to assess community forest needs and the equitable distribution of forest benefits.”
“Healthy urban and community forests provide a host of environmental, economic, and social benefits by reducing air pollution, enhancing wildlife habitat, protecting watersheds, mitigating flooding, increasing property values, and improving public health,” said DEC commissioner Basil Seggos. “DEC is making sustained investments in the health of New York’s environment and our communities through the State's Environmental Protection Fund, providing crucial assistance to help forests thrive.”
The awards are the first in round 16 of the Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Grants from the Tree Inventory and Community Forest Management Plan categories, the release noted. The second round of grant award winners will be announced in 2024.
A full list of first-round grant award winners can be viewed by clicking here.
