Alger County gets DNR grant

An Alger County project is included in Department of Natural Resources grants totaling $92,039 for urban forestry projects statewide.  The announcement was made today to award 18 recipients in Alger, Antrim, Barry, Clinton, Genesee, Grand Traverse, Ingham, Kent, Lapeer, Muskegon, Oakland, Saginaw, Shiawassee, St. Clair and Wayne counties.

The competitive grant program – a cooperative effort between the DNR and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service – funds projects that help create and sustain local urban forestry programs. Grants are awarded for tree planting, community tree inventories, management plans, and education and training projects which enhance and promote urban forestry in Michigan.

The Alger Conservation District will receive $3,000 for tree planting.

“Research shows that trees have positive social and health effects on a community,” said Kevin Sayers, DNR Urban and Community Forestry Program coordinator. “These grants will not only improve the landscape, but they’ll also enhance the livability of these urban communities.”

The grants are federally funded through the USDA Forest Service’s State and Private Forestry Program. Cost-share funds are available to local units of government, schools, tribal governments and nonprofit entities. The grants require 1-to-1 matching funds toward projects performed on non-federal, public lands or lands open to the public. Grant awards will be distributed in December for projects to be completed by Sept. 1, 2013.