Title
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation Tree Stewards Program (Ordinance S-51715) - Citywide
Description
Request authorization for the City Manager, or his designee, to enter into one grant agreement with one grantee to disburse funds for a new Tree Stewards Program. Further request to authorize the City Controller to disburse all funds related to this item. There is no impact to the General Fund. Funding is available from the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service through the Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Grant allocated to the City under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The aggregate expenditures will not exceed $2 million.
Report
Summary
Increasing urban tree canopy cover is an important public health strategy that supports the core value of the 2025 General Plan to build the most sustainable desert city. In November 2024, City Council unanimously adopted the Shade Phoenix Plan, which guides the implementation of more than 30 unique strategies and programs to provide more tree and shade coverage throughout the city. Several actions in the Shade Phoenix Plan are funded by a $10 million Urban and Community Forestry Grant awarded to the City by the USDA. On October 4, 2023, City Council authorized the distribution of $10 million from the USDA’s Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Grant through the IRA to the City's Office of Heat Response and Mitigation (OHRM) for the creation of grant and community impact programs.
To increase the tree shade canopy in disadvantaged neighborhoods, OHRM is seeking authorization to use up to $2 million of USDA grant funds to implement a grant to start a new Tree Stewards Program. With the increased number of trees being planted throughout the City of Phoenix, a reliable, long-term solution for maintenance is paramount. The program will hire, train, and pay at least 10 tree stewards, who will coordinate education, planting, and maintenance efforts to communities in grant eligible neighborhoods for five years. It will provide workforce training and jobs to residents of diverse backgrounds and provide tree maintenance assistance to community members. The benefit to the community will be evaluated yearly and the findings will be used to fine tune the program as it continues. No more than $2 million will be committed for the Tree Stewards Program.
The Tree Steward Grant will be open to existing organizations, including but not limited to nonprofits with relevant experience with tree planting projects and maintenance in underserved neighborhoods. The Tree Stewards Program created through the City’s IRA grant will be designed in coordination with related efforts in neighboring municipalities. OHRM will closely coordinate with the granted organization in order to administer this program. OHRM staff will accept and review applications, award the organization best suited to implement this grant, and ensure that all funding will be spent by the end of June 2029 to comply with IRA requirements.
Financial Impact
Funding for this program will not exceed $2 million. There is no impact to the General Fund. Funding is available through the IRA from the USDA Forest Service.
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Gina Montes and the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation.