MONTANA URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY ASSOCIATION

'Tree Board & Tree Plan Community Support Grant'

​

The Montana Urban and Community Forestry Association (MUCFA) Small Grants Program, funded through the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) through a Program Development grant is offering support for 4-5 communities for recruiting and strengthening tree boards and/or developing a tree care and maintenance plan. Through this grant, MUCFA will also support  awardees with other initial needs such as tree board training and the development of community charters and ordinances. The funding opportunity is designed specifically for communities with populations under 3,500.

 

Program Admnistration  -   What this program covers:

​​

• Recruit, organize, and train Tree Board members

• Facilitate community meetings, outreach, or engagement events related to tree board formation or revival

• Create or update guiding documents such as a tree board chapter and tree ordinance

• Develop a tree care and maintenance plan (management plan) based on an existing updated tree inventory

 

Fund Management and Matching Funds

 

MUCFA will directly manage grant funds and will pay facilitators, contractors, and operational expenses on behalf of awarded communities.

Applicants are required to commit staff or volunteer time to participate in meetings, planning sessions, and tree board or maintenance plan activities.

​

​

Grant Timeline for the fiscal year 2026

• January 2: Call for Applications

• January 31: Application Deadline

• February 2-23:  Review committee evaluation

• February 18:  Award Notification and grant agreements

• March 1- September 30: Grant implementation

• September 30: Final reporting

 

Eligibilty

• Communities with populations under 3,500

• Must engage staff, tree board members, or other volunteers in the project

• Must identify a primary individual who will oversee Tree Board sustainability or support the ongoing implementation of the tree care and maintenance plan.

​​​

 

Application Process - Deadline January 31

Submission Instructions: Submit completed applications via email to mucfa.web@gmail.com with the subject line:

"Community Support Application" - (name of community) or follow online process (below)

Response Guidelines: Please provide clear and concise responses. Open ended questions should be 1-3 paragraphs in length unless otherwise instructed. AI responses will not be accepted.

​​

Thank you for your participation !

​

​​