HONOLULU — Jan. 12 is the deadline to apply for state grants of up to $5,000 for diverse forestry projects.
A one-to-one, non-federal match is required.
The Kaulunani Urban and Community Forestry is inviting community members to submit proposals to celebrate trees.
Kaulunani, a program of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Forestry and Wildlife, supports Arbor Day Hawai’i through its community-partnerships-grant program. Arbor Day Hawai‘i is Nov. 5 in 2022.
Across the state, communities have honored the holiday with tree-planting events, tree-care workshops, landscaping and gardening demonstrations, tree-adoption events and much more.
This year, the Kaulunani Advisory Council encourages projects that go beyond giving away trees.
Proposals that also identify the following objectives will be prioritized:
• Enhance relationships between the trees, forests and people;
• Nurture existing trees;
• Cultivate well-being and resilience in the community.
Nonprofit organizations, private organizations, schools, churches, community groups, state, county and community agencies are encouraged to apply.
All grantees must be in compliance with state requirements and provide Hawai’i Compliance Express certification.
Projects must be publicly accessible.
Trees cannot be planted on inaccessible private land and programs and events must be open to all.
The advisory council recognizes that the program’s mission is best fulfilled through engaging people of diverse backgrounds, beliefs, experiences and cultures, with a focus on the priority populations of Native Hawaiians and low-income individuals. Equity, diversity and justice are foundational values of the Kaulunani program.
Kaulunani has awarded grants to hundreds of nonprofit groups, schools, community organizations, parks, museums and arboretums.
As of 2021, over $4.1 million has been awarded to more than 400 projects through these cost-share grants, which have been matched by over $8 million in cash and in-kind contributions.
Kaulunani and the Arbor Day Hawai’i Grants Program are supporters of the state’s pledge of 100,000,000 trees to be conserved, restored or grown by 2030, as part of the global One Trillion Trees campaign.
All of the trees grown and planted through this program count towards the pledge.
