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.
- Some project match is expected and can include in-kind and volunteer hours.
- Grant funds are distributed on a reimbursement basis. Under limited circumstances, VDOF can directly pay costs for a project. Please reach out to the program contact for more information.
- Applications must be submitted 30 days prior to the estimated planting date and an award must be issued prior to beginning the project or incurring project expenses.
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
- Tree Giveaways
We do fund:
- Fees charged by private contractors and/or consultants.
- Purchase of essential supplies and materials.
- Purchase and planting of trees (2 inches in caliper or less) and shrubs.
- Maintenance expenses, including watering, are eligible for reimbursement during the grant period.
- VDOF cannot reimburse until after all deliverables and 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.
- Purchase and planting of vines or non-woody plants.
Who is Eligible
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 via the Forestry Grants System Access Portal.
- Use the help guide provided in the Resource Library below for registering for an account and submitting an application.
- Local VDOF staff must review the project prior to proposal submission. The local VDOF forester should provide a letter of recommendation for the project directly to the U&CF program manager prior to proposal submission.
- Projects must include community outreach and engagement components.
Additional Resources
| Image | Title | ID | Description | Content Type | hf:tax:document-category | hf:tax:Media | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification (Virginia Dept. of Accounts) | W-9 | Form | View | finance financial-assistance-forest-management financial-assistance-urban-and-community-forestry financial-assistance-forest-health financial-assistance-water-quality financial-assistance-fire-and-emergency-response fire-and-emergency-response forest-health forest-management urban-and-community-forestry water-quality | form | |
| SF-424B – Assurances for Non-Construction Programs | Federal-SF-424B | This links to a federal form used for grants. Click View to download the form and then open the form manually in Acrobat Reader. The form has trouble opening directly in Chrome. | Form | View | finance financial-assistance | 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 | |
 | Virginia Trees for Clean Water Grants – System Access Portal for Forestry Grants User Guide | System Access Portal User Guide for application and administration of Virginia Trees for Clean Water Grants. | 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.