Exploring the Relationship Between Municipal Characteristics and Urban Forest Management Grant Success in New York State, USA

Abstract Background Grants for urban forest management are vital to many municipalities and are known to help communities achieve their management targets. Municipalities have varying grant-writing and execution resources and differing community characteristics, which may affect grant application success. This study evaluated the characteristics of municipalities that were successful, unsuccessful, or did not apply for 4 rounds of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Urban and Community Forestry Grant (NYSDEC UCF Grant) to identify trends, scoring advantages, and barriers. Methods Responses to a survey inquiring about municipalities’ interactions with the NYSDEC UCF Grant program were paired with US Census and New York State (NYS) data and analyzed for significance and trends. Results Successful applicants had higher rates of Arbor Day celebration, formally educated or certified employees, and tree advisory boards. Surprisingly, successful and unsuccessful applicants had equal access to grant writers, and few municipalities listed political or public support as barriers. Municipalities that did not apply cited a lack of awareness, low capacity, and a need for technical support. Applications were awarded points for Tree City USA recognition, documented economic need, and projects in disadvantaged areas. Tree City USA recognition was statistically correlated with application success. The presence of a state-designated disadvantaged area did not equate to an increased likelihood of success in each grant round. Conclusion Municipalities with existing urban forestry management infrastructure and documented needs were more likely to be awarded a NYSDEC UCF Grant. Municipal participation in the application process may be encouraged and improved with increased technical assistance and support.