Senator Murray Announces Over $42 Million to Expand Access to Green Spaces in Neighborhoods Across Washington State

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Senator Murray: “Right now, too many people lack easy access to green spaces—so these dollars we secured in the Inflation Reduction Act are going to make a real difference in helping people all across Washington state enjoy the outdoors.”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced more than $42 million in funding to support projects across Washington state to plant and maintain trees, combat extreme heat and climate change, and improve access to nature in cities, towns, and suburbs where the majority of Americans live. The grants are administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service, and funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, which Senator Murray helped pass and that is the largest climate investment in American history. 

“We know that more neighborhood green spaces mean happier residents and lower temperatures in the heat of summer—not to mention all the other benefits that access to nature brings for people’s physical and mental health,” said Senator Murray. “Right now, too many people lack easy access to green spaces, so these dollars we secured in the Inflation Reduction Act are going to make a real difference—people want trees, shade, and green spaces in their neighborhoods.”

Washington state will receive $6 million for urban forestry projects across the state, and the following projects were awarded grants directly:

1. $730,413 for the City of College Place: Urban Forestry Enhancement Project to plant trees and install drip irrigation throughout the City in key multimodal corridors under construction.
2. $334,588 for the City of Tumwater Urban Forestry Capacity and Equity Project to protect, enhance, and expand the urban tree canopy.
3. $230,507 for the Climate & Economic Justice Grant – Castle Hill Neighborhood Tree Canopy to add trees to a locally-funded road project that will provide green stormwater infrastructure.
4. $900,000 for the Delridge Native Forest Garden in Seattle to enhance approximately four acres of City-owned parcels and unimproved rights-of-way in the Longfellow Creek basin in West Seattle.
5. $1,000,000 for the Enhancing Urban Forestry Efforts project in the City of Shoreline for plans to improve the health of our urban forests while supporting community resilience in the face of climate change.
6. $12,000,000 for Growing Seattle: Community-driven urban forestry and job training to leverage longstanding partnerships to improve the health of Seattle’s urban forest and people.
7. $2,480,761 for Growing Urban Forest in Snohomish County to collaborate with the cities of Everett, Marysville, and the Tulalip Tribes to develop urban forest management, monitoring, and maintenance plans.
8. $1,680,140 for the Oak Harbor WA Urban & Community Forestry Program Development to implement urban forest resiliency projects and develop a program to promote and broaden green career pathways.
9. $1,308,198 to the South Lynnwood Urban Forestry and Stewardship Program to protect urban forests, riparian areas, and wetlands to expand healthy urban tree canopy within the South Lynnwood Neighborhood.
10. $6 million for the Spokane County Natural Resource Apprenticeship Program to improve urban tree canopy and expand forestry career opportunities through forestry education programs.
11. $6 million for Tree Equity Spokane to increase tree canopy cover and provide urgent care for trees in disadvantaged communities in Spokane.
12. $240,517 for the Urban & Community Forestry Future in Port Townsend to develop an Urban Forestry Plan and engage a professional arboricultural planning service with demonstrated capacity to provide a timely plan and code update at cost and provide public outreach.
13. $300,000 for the Vancouver Urban Forestry Project to build a new Urban Forestry Workforce Development Project to provide paid job training for young adults.
14. $1,786,400 for Washington State University to work with faculty at four community colleges to empower students to enhance urban forests through coursework and opportunities for professional development.
15. $1,374,299 for the Snoqualmie Tribe Ancestral Lands Culturally Modified Tree Protection Program to protect the urban forest canopies on Snoqualmie Tribe ancestral lands and launch an educational program to spread awareness of the importance of urban forests.

The grants are a part of the Urban and Community Forestry Program, the only program in the federal government dedicated to enhancing and expanding the nation’s urban forest resources. This is the largest single USDA Inflation Reduction Act investment to date in urban and community forests and will improve 140 million acres of urban and community forest across the United States.

Studies show that more trees in communities are associated with improved physical and mental health, lower average temperatures during extreme heat, and increased food security. This historic funding will help the Forest Service support projects that increase tree cover in disadvantaged communities, provide equitable access to the benefits of nature, and deliver tangible economic and ecological benefits to urban and Tribal communities across the country.

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