Birmingham Receives $20,000 Forestry Grant

Birmingham will receive $20,000 next year in order to make an inventory of the city's street trees as part of a grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the department announced late last week.

The DNR awarded 12 grants to cities statewide for urban forestry projects, for a grand total of $67,148. The competitive grant program — a cooperative effort between the DNR and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service, funds projects that "help create and sustain local urban forestry programs," according to a release from the DNR.

The grants are awarded for tree planting, community tree inventories, management plans and education and training projects that "enhance and promote urban forestry in Michigan," the release said.

DNR grants require a one-to-one matching of funds for projects performed on nonfederal public land or land open to the public.

Other grant recipients include municipalities in Ingham, Leelanau, Chippewa and Tuscola counties, as well as the Arboricultural Society of Michigan.

Birmingham was one of two Oakland County cities to receive the forestry grants; the city of Rochester also received $14,700 for street tree inventory.