2018 Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Cost Share Grant Program

intent of the applicable category (ies).Organizations, local governments, tribal agencies, and partnerships are encouraged to submit proposals that will demonstrate the reach, resources, and expertise needed to address the priority issue (s) in ways that will lead to meaningful, replicable results across the country.Potential Innovation grantees are should work collaboratively with other organizations and entities not traditionally involved in urban and community forestry.Applicants should consider multi-year projects and other sources of funds, which may include other Federal cooperative conservation sources. While other Federal dollars or technical support may contribute to the project, they may not be used to match these Federal grant program dollars.The grant review process takes about six to nine months to review the proposals once they are received. Applicants should state their start and end date accordingly on their SF424. Each category is separate. If there is more than one category listed, please do not merge more than one category content or intent into one proposal. This may result in disqualification of the proposal. If there is more than one grant category, applicants may submit separate proposals to each category. 2018 National Urban and Community Forestry Grant CategoryPlanting, Inventory, and Analysis for Forest and Environmental Health, (Pg. 15)Projects in this category should increase knowledge about, or understanding of, how urban planting, inventory, and, analysis of our urban forest natural resources contributes to the health, energy, ecological, economic, and other critical benefits our urban forests provide communities and in improving human well-being. Please note if your proposal falls under Momentum or Emergent Objectives.Background/Intent: The National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, (NUCFAC) is the steward of the National Ten Year Urban Forestry Action Plan (2016-2026), (Action Plan). The Action Plan was developed in conjunction with the public. The Council uses the Forest Service’s National Urban Forestry Challenge Cost Share grant program as one tool to implement the Action Plan. This Year’s grant category is based on the Action Plan’s Research Needs. As one Scientist pointed out “If communities don't have healthy trees, they can't capture the health, energy, ecological, and other benefits that urban forests provide.”A community must be able to understand the character, extent, and health of the current urban forest. Standard canopy assessment or tree inventory practices are widely used; these were informed by early research and should be expanded as studies continue.Choices must be made about tree selection, care, and maintenance. Research has helped to shape best practices, and scientific support should continue to inform on-the-ground urban forest management.The urban forest is a dynamic, living resource that is being recognized as an important element across other urban systems. Additional research is needed to better understand how the urban forest, as a green infrastructure element, can be integrated with other urban systems, such as stormwater management installations, and with grey infrastructure like roofs and parking lots. Science-based assessment and decision support tools are also needed to more rapidly recognize and respond to threats that may negatively impact the essential contributions of trees and forest patches across the entire urban to rural landscape gradientMomentum Objectives Continue to develop strategies & protocols to measure and monitor extent and condition of urban forests and canopy cover, locally as well as nationally (e.g. urban FIA, UTC), with attention to cost and data collection efficiencies for communities. Continue original research to support development of additional assessment models and tools (such as, but not limited to: LIDAR and hyperspectral remote sensing for forest canopy and health condition assessments, and i-Tree). Expand knowledge of tree selection, placement, and growth factors (including soils), specifically to promote resilience (especially in response to increasing natural disasters, disease, and invasive species). Provide evidence to continue to develop, establish and promote standards & best practices for urban forest sustainability.Emergent Objectives Expand diagnostics for urban forest health and threats and construct protocols for early detection, as well as routine and systematic assessment & reporting.Develop models and decision tools to support optimal urban forest, other green infrastructure, and gray infrastructure integration and configurations. Expand initial implementations of Urban FIA (USFS Forest Inventory and Analysis) for forest condition assessment and monitoring.Develop a clear, effective, and innovative technology transfer component to the proposal. This includes a wide dissemination of, and public access to, completed project results. Identify the key stakeholder groups that will be able to utilize the project results.The production of only CDs, presenting at peer conferences and posting to websites is a step, but will be considered an inadequate means of technology transfer by the proposal review teams. Note: if an applicant has difficulty submitting their proposal to grants.gov, they may submit a copy to: nucfac_ucf_proposals@fs.fed.us