Purpose of Funding
Competitive grants of $10,000 to $500,000 will fund costs associated with planning, site preparation, trees, planting, watering, monitoring, and related expenses over a three-year period.

Application
https://webportalapp.com/sp/login/treesfornjschools

Application Deadline
July 13, 2023

Notification Date
September 15, 2023

Source of Funding
The program is funded through New Jersey’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiatives. Proceeds from cap auctions are used to fund programs to benefit the environment. Forty percent of the grant funding will be set aside for applicants located in overburdened communities, with preference given to schools with the lowest tree coverage and the highest coverage of impervious surface, such as paved areas, and buildings.

Statutory Citation
NJSA 26:2C-45 and NJAC 7:27D

Who is Eligible
To be eligible to participate in this program an applicant must be a:

•  New Jersey public school district, including one or more schools with any combination of pre-K through 12th grade levels
• New Jersey community college
• New Jersey state college
• New Jersey state university

Applications can include proposed planting areas on more than one location (school or campus property)
owned by the applicant.

Planting may occur on lands owned by the above-listed institutions or on other types of public land that are used or frequented by students. In those cases where a portion of the trees will be planted on municipal, county, or federal land, documented permission of relevant jurisdiction must be supplied at the time of application. By the end of the project (July 2026), grantees will need to submit conservation restriction(s) signed by the relevant authorities protecting any trees funded by this grant program for 30-years, subject to limited, specified exceptions (see below).

Project sites on private land are NOT eligible.

Qualifications Required for Consideration

• Identify potential locations for planting trees.
• Obtain a formal statement from the appropriate authority of support for the grant application and of commitment to maintain the trees that will be planted with grant funds.
• Form a project team, including a proposed project manager as well key members of staff with responsibilities and experience related to the campus landscape, such as buildings and grounds/facilities, business administrator(s) or campus landscape architect.
• In consultation with stakeholders, develop the preliminary planting and maintenance plan.
• This program will give special priority to projects that plant trees in overburdened communities. Consequently, forty percent of program funds ($1 million) will be allocated to qualified projects that are located, or partially located, in census block groups that are characterized as Overburdened Communities as defined in N.J.S.A. 13:1D-157.

Grant Limitations
Maximum potential funding is $500,000 total

• Eligible expenses include trees, site preparation, supplies, equipment, sub-contracts, and limited personnel and overheads (see Section D).
• Grant payments will be made in installments upon the attainment of specified benchmarks with an initial payment of 10% of the proposed budget upon execution of the grant agreement.

Application Procedures
Must be submitted via specific Trees for Schools portal: https://webportalapp.com/sp/login/treesfornjschools

Additional Information

Application Information: https://www.sustainablejerseyschools.com/fileadmin/media/Grants_and_Resources/Trees_for_Schools/Trees_for_Schools_AIP.pdf

For More Information or to Request an Application, Contact

Melanie McDermott
mcdermom@tcnj.edu