Texas A&M Forest Service awards Community Forestry Grants
Grants will support urban forests across Texas
Texas A&M Forest Service awarded $389,340 through its Community Forestry Grants Program this month to support community-led projects that expand tree canopy, improve access to green spaces and strengthen urban forests across Texas.
The grants will fund projects led by local governments, school districts and nonprofit organizations that focus on community resilience, human health, workforce development, and tree planting and maintenance. Together, these efforts will help communities address local needs while increasing the environmental, economic and social benefits healthy urban forests provide.
“Communities across Texas are facing growing challenges from heat, storms and urban sprawl,” said Michelle Moore, Texas A&M Forest Service forest systems department head. “Investing in community forestry helps address these challenges while improving quality of life for residents. The Community Forestry Grants Program provides support to local partners working to expand tree canopy, enhance public spaces and build healthier, more resilient communities.”
Program leads to healthier urban forests
The program supports locally driven initiatives that create healthier, more resilient communities while expanding opportunities for education, stewardship and long-term urban forest management.
The 2026 Community Forestry Grants Program awarded funding in four of the six possible practices: community resiliency, human health improvement and access, workforce development, and tree planting.
Grants awarded were:
- The City of El Paso received $50,000 in the community resiliency category.
- West Oso Independent School District received $50,000 in the human health enhancement and access category.
- American YouthWorks and Partners for Education, Agriculture and Sustainability each received $50,000 in the workforce development category.
- The cities of Burleson, Kemah, Palmview and San Elizario, and Collaborative Earth Institute, El Paso County, GROW North Texas, Paso del Norte Trail and Valley Ranch, Master Association each received $20,000 in the tree planting and maintenance category.
- Greens Bayou Corridor Coalition received $9,340 in the tree planting and maintenance category.
“These grants help communities expand and care for their urban forests, providing benefits that extend far beyond trees — from cleaner air and reduced heat to improved public health and stronger local economies,” said Moore.
Established in 2022, the Texas A&M Forest Service Community Forestry Grants Program helps communities invest in healthier urban forests through projects that improve quality of life, increase resilience and expand access to the many benefits trees provide. Funding for the program is made possible through federal and state funds.
