New York State Awards $45 Million in Grants to Boost Tree Nursery and Forest Products Markets
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced $45 million in grants for 44 projects aimed at enhancing forest resilience, mitigating climate change, and supporting sustainable forest management. These grants, part of DEC’s Advancing Forest Markets (AFM) initiative, will fund projects across the state to expand tree seedling and forest product capacity, increase access to affordable native trees, and grow New York’s forest products economy. The initiative supports the state's goal of planting 25 million trees. Projects will focus on increasing native tree seed collection, growing locally adapted tree seedlings, distributing seeds and seedlings for reforestation, and fostering partnerships within the supply chain. Additionally, the grants will support the forest product sector by creating new jobs, providing training for forestry professionals, processing low-grade timber, salvaging wood from urban removals, and assisting private forest landowners with sustainable management...