FUNDING
How to Build Sustainable Capacity
Acquiring seed funding for projects is one thing, but building and supporting capacity for a sustainable and healthy community forest requires stable funding. Collaboration amongst all stakeholders often leads to demonstrating how green infrastructure can be maintained and enhanced with interdepartmental and initiative funding, as well as through infrastructure and utility fees.
Considerations about Funding
Consider alternative funding sources to replace or supplement general fund and increase certainty and capacity with efforts.
- Look to other departments who manage and/or benefit from forests such as Public Works (roads, stormwater), Parks (open space).
- Explore critical community priorities for financial support, such as Sustainability Initiatives or Climate Action Plans.
Resource Links by Topic
Stormwater Utility
Programs
Seed (Project) Funding
City Models
- Stormwater Utility Rates Supporting Urban Tree and Urban Forest Planning, Planting, and Management – A technical memorandum that summarizes research, provides template code, ordinance language, and presentation materials to codify the recognition of trees and urban forest’s role in stormwater mitigation, allowing utility rates to fund urban forest management.
- Stormwater Infrastructure Funding and Equity – An EPA webinar (slides) of three case studies that demonstrate concrete examples of building equitable green infrastructure and associated funding/financing mechanisms.