By: Richard L. Smith
The Honorable Senator Cory Booker, The Honorable Congressman Donald Payne Jr., and White House Senior Advisor John Podesta were joined by High School students from Great Oaks Legacy Charter School, a high-performing Newark-based public charter school system.
According to a statement released by The United States Department of Agriculture on Wednesday, The Biden-Harris Administrationthe availability of $1 billion in grants to increase equitable access to trees and green spaces in urban and community forests where more than 84% of Americans live, work and play.
USDA officials said the announcement is part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and the Administration’s work to build a clean energy economy, advance environmental justice and create economic opportunity in communities nationwide.
Senator Booker, the group planted the tree at Lincoln Park, across the street from the high school.
“It was an honor to have our High School students participate in this extraordinary event, where they helped plant the first street tree in Newark,” said Jared Taillefer, Executive Director at Great Oaks Legacy Charter School.
The community leaders also shared a sustainability lesson with the students, who were able to take a small sapling home with them.
Along with the open grant funding opportunity, USDA officials said the USDA Forest Service is providing up to $250 million to states and territories to further local efforts to support urban communities through equitable access to trees and the benefits they provide.
“Since my days as Mayor of Newark, I have seen the transformative impact that planting trees can have for urban communities,” said Sen. Booker.
The funding for state and territory forestry agencies will be administered as subgrants to reach disadvantaged communities, as determined by the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool.
The community leaders also shared a sustainability lesson with the students, who were able to take a small sapling home with them.
The grant funding is available to community-based organizations, tribes, municipal and state governments, nonprofit partners, universities, and other eligible entities as they work to increase tree cover in urban spaces and boost equitable access to nature while bolstering resilience to extreme heat, storm-induced flooding, and other climate impacts.