These two Central Texas cities are getting federal grants to boost their urban forests
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is pushing for more urban trees to help fight climate change, and some Texas cities are in line to get funding to help make that happen.
The White House recently announced that the U.S. Forest Service, a part of the federal Agriculture Department, awarded $1 billion in grants nationwide, including two for Central Texas cities.
Pflugerville will get $150,000 to “restore the urban tree canopy recently lost to severe weather events in the Windermere neighborhood south of Gilleland Creek,” according to a Sept. 14 news release from the Agriculture Department. The trees are intended to offset the so-called “urban heat island effect,” the higher heat that comes off buildings and roads compared with forests.
"We are excited and honored to have received this grant, which will enable us to replant native trees and increase our total canopy coverage,” Pflugerville Mayor Victor Gonzales told the American-Statesman. “In the past couple years, our community has endured unprecedented weather challenges, which have taken a toll on our trees and reduced the total canopy coverage for residents.
“This grant will allow us to plant trees which will not only help us recover some of what we lost due to recent weather extremes, but will also play a vital role in addressing the growing heat island effect that raises both surface and air temperatures in our community."
San Marcos is getting nearly $300,000 to conduct a tree inventory and tree canopy assessment to help develop an Urban and Community Forestry Strategic Management Plan.
“We are excited that this grant will fund our much needed Urban and Community Forestry Strategic Management Plan in the amount of $299,722,” San Marcos Mayor Jane Hughson said. “Elements of the plan include a tree inventory of public property, tree canopy assessment, and application for designation as a Tree City.
“The plan will guide our work, creating policy and procedures that promote greater cooperation within the city while improving public tree management and engaging and educating the community.”
Four other Texas cities also were awarded grants, including $15 million for Houston and $15 million for Dallas.
"These investments arrive as cities across the country experience record-breaking heat waves that have grave impacts on public health, energy consumption, and overall well-being," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in the release. "Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we are supporting communities in becoming more resilient to climate change and combatting extreme heat with the cooling effects of increased urban tree canopy, while also supporting employment opportunities and professional training that will strengthen local economies."
Enhancing U.S. urban forests
The Urban and Community Forestry Program is part of the White House’s drive for green funding, from electric vehicles to efficient appliances, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Biden set a U.S. goal of achieving a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and a net zero emissions economy by no later than 2050.
This “landmark funding from the U.S. Forest Service will increase urban access to nature, improve air quality, keep city streets cool during sweltering summers, tackle the climate crisis, and create safer, healthier communities in every corner of America,” John Podesta, senior adviser to the president for clean energy innovation and implementation, told reporters.
“That makes a huge difference for the grandmother who doesn’t have air conditioning, or the kid who has asthma, or the parent who works outside for 10 hours a day,” he said.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: San Marcos, Pflugerville awarded federal grants to boost urban forests
