If you're looking to plant trees or restore the forest on your land, here's a way to get funding to do it.

The Regenerate New York Forestry Cost Share Grant Program is now accepting applications for it's second round of funding. The program's purpose is to support forest regeneration, while at the same time combatting climate change, protecting air quality, and supporting the economy.

The Department of Environmental Conservation is awarding $750,000 dollars in grants this round, with $250,000 specifically for afforestation and reforestation projects. The minimum amount awarded per project is $10,000, with a cap placed at $50,000.

What Projects Are Eligible?

All partnerships, individuals, or entities are eligible to apply, as long as they have between 10 and 1,000 acres that can be forested. There are multiple projects that these qualified groups can choose from.

Afforestation or Reforestation

Any project that works to create or maintain a forested landscape is eligible. This includes activities like site preparation, tree planting, or installing tree shelters for timber, fiber production, and  carbon sequestration.

Forest Stand Regeneration

This includes projects aimed at applying treatments to land and forestry in a degraded area. This could include coppicing, use of seed trees, patch clear-cuts, and overstory removal.

Competing Vegetation Control

This involves the mechanical removal or use of chemicals to control aggressive and/or invasive plant species on the property. It just needs to be proved these plants are interfering with future forest regeneration or establishment.

Deer Exclosures

Sounds backwards, but it isn't. Funding will be approved to projects who establish fencing to protect young trees from deer. This also includes areas where there aren't any trees, in order to let natural regeneration happen.

The DEC is accepting applications until 3:00pm on Friday, October 7th. Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis. Get more information by visiting the DEC's website.