Applications Open in Late Spring; Applicants Encouraged to Enroll with USDA Now to Obtain Farm ID

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today previewed a new grant program that will soon make more than $46 million available to support tree production, forest management, and forest product industries. The Advancing Forest Markets (AFM) Grant Program is in the final stages of development and will be instrumental in supporting Governor Kathy Hochul’s 25 Million Trees initiative and open space conservation goals. This program is expected to offer a variety of funding opportunities to entities that enroll with the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency and obtain a Farm ID.

“To plant 25 million trees and expand and maintain healthy, resilient forests in New York State, new collaborations are needed to support the reforestation supply chain and sustainable forest management,” DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton said. “This novel grant program will ensure that the trees available to New Yorkers are affordable, accessible, and high quality and also help incentivize tree growers and forest producers to meaningfully expand operational and production capacity.”

Eligible applicants include state agencies, municipalities, soil and water conservation districts, for-profit businesses, not-for-profit organizations, Indian Nations or Tribes, individual private landowners, and others that qualify to and enroll with the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency. Applicants must engage in the following Forest Market Areas:

• Collect, process, store, and sell tree seeds;
• Produce and sell tree seedlings;
• Harvest, process, and sell wood products;
• Produce and sell other forestry products like nuts and maple syrup; or
• Conduct forest management planning and related activities.

When the grant opportunity opens, applicants may apply for funding to increase their stock of native, New York-grown trees and tree seeds; make tree seedlings and saplings more affordable to retail customers; or increase forest-based operational capacity to produce or sell forest products. Examples of potential qualifying actions include but are not limited to proposals that:

• Hire additional staff;
• Increase operational capacity;
• Increase marketing for new products or markets, such as mass timber, wood residue-based renewable fuels, nanocellulose, and/or biochar;
• Increase information sharing, sector collaboration, and networks related to tree seed collection, processing and storage, tree production, reforestation, silviculture, or forest products;
• Expand the availability of trainings, workshops, and workforce development programs related to tree seed collection, tree production, reforestation, silviculture, harvesting best practices; and
• Increase development and dissemination of related educational and guidance materials.

Due to the limited timeframe of the grant period, funding may not be used for direct implementation of forestry projects that break ground or disturb site vegetation.

Additional details on these opportunities will be described when DEC releases the Guidelines and Bid Instructions in late spring.  All work undertaken as part of the program must be completed by January 2028. Visit DEC’s website for more information.

These programs support Governor Kathy Hochul’s ‘25 Million Trees by 2033’ initiative to recognize the importance of trees and forests for community health. DEC encourages all New Yorkers to record trees they plant in the public Tree Tracker. DEC’s 25 Million Trees webpages also provide valuable resources for planting, community planting events, and other resources to support the initiative and DEC’s partners.

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under agreement number NR233A750004G035.