Virginia Trees for Clean Water Grant Program

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.

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 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

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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.