The Virginia Trees for Clean Water Grant Program is established to encourage the creation of long-term, sustained canopy cover to improve water quality across the Commonwealth. This grant is used to fund tree-planting efforts that raise public awareness of the benefits of trees and impacts on water quality.
Funding
- The recommended funding range is $1,000 – $50,000.
- Match is recommended but not required and can include in-kind and volunteer hours.
- Grant funds are distributed on a reimbursement basis.
Project Categories
Projects may include but are not limited to the following:
- Riparian Buffers
- Community or Street Tree Plantings
- Neighborhood-wide Projects
- Turf-to-Trees
We do fund:
- Fees charged by private contractors and/or consultants.
- Purchase of essential supplies and materials.
- Purchase and planting of trees and shrubs.
- Maintenance expenses, including watering, are eligible for reimbursement during the grant period.
- VDOF cannot reimburse until after all deliverables/activities have been completed.
- Maintenance costs will be ineligible if submitted outside of the approved grant period.
- Costs associated with site preparation and soil amendments.
We don’t fund:
- Purchase of machinery or equipment.
- Construction of any kind (e.g., sidewalks or roads).
- Purchase of food, snacks, or beverages.
- Purchase of land or land charges.
- Purchase of plant material classified as invasive species.
- Purchase and planting of ash species (Fraxinus sp.) due to the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis).
- Costs that are not incurred during the grant award period.
- Costs not approved by the urban and community forestry program manager during the award phase or modification.
Eligible Applicants
Grants may be awarded to civic groups, communities, local government, non-profit organizations, neighborhood associations, public educational institutions, state agencies, tribal organizations, and volunteer groups.
To Apply
Applications are accepted in the form of a proposal – view application forms and request for proposal document in the Resource Library below.
- Local VDOF staff must review the project prior to proposal submission. A letter of recommendation from the local VDOF forester should be included in the proposal submission.
- A detailed tree maintenance plan must be included with each grant application.
- Projects must include community outreach and engagement components.
- Prior to final reimbursement, an approved representative will conduct a follow-up planting inspection and input results into VDOF’s “My Trees Count” application.
Additional Resources
| Image | Title | ID | Description | Content Type | document-category_hfilter | Media_hfilter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Forestry Grant Program -Time and Activity Log for Staff and Volunteers | 3.26 | Form | View | finance financial-assistance-urban-and-community-forestry financial-assistance urban-and-community-forestry | form | |
| Virginia Trees for Clean Water Grant Program Application | 17.02 | Form | View | financial-assistance-urban-and-community-forestry financial-assistance-water-quality urban-and-community-forestry water-quality | form | |
 | Virginia Trees for Clean Water Grant Program Budget Worksheet | 17.04 | Form | View | financial-assistance-urban-and-community-forestry financial-assistance-water-quality urban-and-community-forestry water-quality | form | |
 | Virginia Trees for Clean Water Grants – Request for Proposals | Virginia Trees for Clean Water Grants – Request for Proposal document details the program and proposal requirements as well as deadlines and submission information. | Document | View | financial-assistance-urban-and-community-forestry urban-and-community-forestry | document |
A variety of financial assistance programs exist through VDOF and partner agencies for community forestry and forest management activities.
Explore All Financial Assistance Programs
Contact Us
For more information or questions, e-mail us or use our contact form.