Adams Celebrates Over $1 Million in Grant Awards for Charlotte Urban Forestry Efforts

WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 20, 2023) – Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. congratulated the City of Charlotte’s Landscape Management Division for its award of $1.1 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service to protect and preserve trees in historically underinvested neighborhoods, called Corridors of Opportunity. The grant is part of a $1 billion investment in urban and community forestry across all 50 states as well as several U.S. territories and tribal nations.

Landscape Management was awarded the grant to fund two programs in Charlotte’s Corridors of Opportunity: The Canopy Care Program ($600,000) and Tree Maintenance Program ($500,000). These grants are funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which was signed into law by President Biden in August 2022. Congresswoman Adams voted for the IRA in the House of Representatives.

“These grant awards poise the City of Charlotte and the North Carolina’s 12th Congressional District to lead on urban forestry practices to the benefit of the climate, environmental justice, public health, and economic development,” said Congresswoman Adams, a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee. “These critical investments underscore the success of the Inflation Reduction Act in making cities across the country – including the Queen City – greener and more resilient, and in improving urban tree canopies so that their benefits will endure for generations.”

“This funding symbolizes a shared commitment to the preservation and protection of our cherished trees, which are not only crucial to our environment but also integral to our community’s cultural and historical fabric,” said Monica Holmes, Corridors of Opportunity executive manager. “This grant will undoubtedly leave a lasting, positive impact on our communities, fostering a sense of pride and unity as we work hand-in-hand toward a greener, more equitable future.”

The Canopy Care Program will plant new trees, prune existing trees and remove hazardous trees to enhance the overall canopy health on private property within Charlotte’s designated communities. Landscape Management is partnering with Housing & Neighborhood Services to identify eligible property owners for this program.

The Tree Maintenance Program will also prioritize Corridors of Opportunity for public tree maintenance work including pruning young and mature trees, removing hazardous trees and stump grinding to prepare sites for replacement trees. Arborists with Landscape Management will identify tree care locations in public rights-of-way.

Nationwide, the Forest Service selected 385 grant proposals from entities working to increase equitable access to nature, and the benefits they provide for urban cooling, improving air quality, and promoting food security and public health. Funding was also awarded to the 1890 Universities Foundation to support urban forestry in the communities near Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Trees remove pollutants from the air, intercept rainwater to reduce erosion, help mitigate stormwater runoff, store billions of tons of carbon dioxide, and provide food and homes for a diversity of wildlife. Studies show that trees reduce mental fatigue, stress and the risk for heat-related illness. Trees reduce energy costs for houses and businesses, increase commerce, and increase home values.

Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. represents North Carolina’s 12th Congressional District (Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, Cabarrus County) and serves as a Senior Member of the House Committee on Agriculture. Additionally, she serves on the House Committee on Education & the Workforce, where she serves as Ranking Member of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee.

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