Neighborhood Tree Act of 2026

More tree grants for low-income neighborhoods

If enacted, the bill would create a Neighborhood Tree Fund under the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act. The Fund would give grants to States, Indian Tribes, local governments, approved organizations, and community tree volunteer groups. It would authorize at least $100 million (FY2025), $200 million (FY2026), $400 million (FY2027), $600 million (FY2028), and $700 million (FY2029). The agency, in consultation with HUD, would require community engagement, canopy assessments, climate-based project design, site preparation and species selection, and ongoing maintenance. The Secretary would prioritize projects in census tracts with poverty rates of at least 20% (5-year ACS 2014–2018), areas with low canopy and higher daytime summer temperatures, public-health climate resilience projects, and community-led urban agroforestry or food-tree projects. No more than 10% of each year’s Fund could pay for developing community tree assessments.