Iowa City Today

The Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department has been awarded two separate grants that will help plant new trees around town. The combined funds will provide $15,000 towards the City’s efforts to expand and diversify our urban tree canopy.

“With the widespread need for new trees as Iowa City grows, recovers from the derecho, and replaces Ash trees lost to pests, funding through grants is important to expand our efforts beyond traditional funding sources," said Tyler Baird, Superintendent of Parks & Forestry. "These grants combine with budgeted funding to create even more impact as we strive to increase our canopy coverage while growing a healthy urban forest. Long term grant funding partners like the Iowa DNR and MidAmerican Energy make a large impact by increasing the number of trees we are able to plant over multiple years.”

Iowa DNR Community Forestry Grant Program

The City of Iowa City will receive $10,000 from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (Iowa DNR) as part of its Community Forestry Grant Program.

The Forestry Division plans to use the funds to plant 65 trees in City Park to replace trees lost due to Emerald Ash Borer. The new trees will be planted the week leading up to Arbor Day, April 28, 2023, with the help of high school volunteers.

Previous awards from this grant program have been used to add trees at Wetherby Park, Thornberry Dog Park, and Riverfront Crossings Park.

MidAmerican Trees Please! Grant Program

The City of Iowa City will receive $5,000 from MidAmerican Energy Company’s Trees Please! grant program. Since 1998, MidAmerican has awarded more than $4.4 million through this program to help municipalities plant trees.

The Forestry Division will use the funds to plant new trees in the right-of-way around town. The City of Iowa City is fortunate to have received funding from this program for several years running.

Original source can be found here.