Written by Alison Faller

Urban Forestry Specialist

The USDA Forest Service Urban & Community Forestry Program awarded a historic $6 million in grant funding from the Inflation Reduction Act to the Department of Forestry and Fire Management in 2023. DFFM awarded funding to ten projects after the first call for IRA project proposals. Now that these projects have executed their grant agreements and begun work, we are pleased to share with you the organizations and projects that were awarded.

Corazon Latino: Sembrando por el Futuro

This project will develop and disseminate an educational toolkit for community engagement in urban forestry in both English and Spanish. It will also activate a campaign to educate Latino audiences about urban forestry through media, and coordinate community tree planting events.

City of Tempe: Growing Together

This project will develop a Community Tree Stewards Program in Tempe, establish a School Greening & Maintenance Program to train school maintenance staff, and support a food forest planting at McClintock High School for future learning. Learn more.

Tucson Audubon & Dunbar/Springs Neighborhood Foresters: Dunbar/Springs Neighborhood Plantings

This project facilitates the installation of 5 in-street stormwater-harvesting, traffic-calming rain garden chicanes in a historically disadvantaged area where bicycle boulevards connect. It also includes developing a manual for project replication in other areas. 

Trees Matter: Urban Forestry Integrated Management

Trees Matter will conduct a tree inventory in Metro Phoenix, and an annual report will be produced. The organization will coordinate and train Tree Steward volunteers to host tree plantings and perform tree maintenance. 

City of Avondale: Resilient Roots 

This project will host four tree and shrub plantings in parks and plazas, with the engagement of community volunteers. It also includes the installation of irrigation for ongoing maintenance.

Arizona Community Tree Council: Arizona Arboriculture Pre-employment Program

This project expands the AZ Arboriculture Pre-Employment Training Program (AAPPY) for low-income youth in Nogales, Somerton, and South Tucson, and a secondary cohort in Yuma. Participants work towards an internship and future employment with involved contractors. 

Tucson Clean & Beautiful: Planting the Future-Youth-led NeighborWoods

Tucson Clean & Beautiful will conduct youth training and education about tree plantings for low-income youth. Youth participants will lead tree plantings on private and public properties in the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CJEST) tracts. 

Arizona Sustainability Alliance: Tree Stewards 

This project will utilize the Tree Stewards curriculum to build upon previous success with training and Tree Steward volunteers within HOAs in Buckeye and Mesa. 

Watershed Management Group: Pathway to Improved UCF Management

This project offers project management support for three municipalities designated as underinvested to support them as they develop tree ordinances and apply to be recognized as a Tree City USA. 

City of Yuma: Aerial Operations & Advancement 

The City of Yuma will build staff capacity through aerial arboriculture training and certifications. Trained staff will assess and remove hazardous trees in Joe Henry Park with subsequent replacement plantings.

Written by Jessi Szopinski

Invasive Plant Program Specialist

For this edition of Forestry in Focus, the Invasive Plant Program Team will highlight two invasive grasses reported to us by New Mexico University staff.

One of these plants, Ventenata or wiregrass (Ventenata dubia), hasn’t been spotted in Arizona yet, but is quickly spreading throughout states that border Arizona - including New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and California. It’s an annual grass that grows 1-3 feet tall and has long, drooping, “wiry” stems- which is where the nickname “wiregrass” originates. This noxious weed grows in disturbed areas and creates dense monocultures that increase fire frequency and intensity in the southwest, making it a high priority to keep out of our state. 

The second invasive grass on our watch list is called medusa head (Taeniatherum caput-medusae), and it was recently spotted in the Flagstaff area near Walnut Canyon National Monument by the USDA Forest Service. This plant is an annual winter grass that grows 6-20 inches tall, and has stems that produce a single seed head with a long awn (bristle-like structure) that can get up to 4 inches in length. The inflorescence (flower head) doesn’t break apart easily at maturity like other annual grasses. Similar to wiregrass, this noxious weed aggressively outcompetes native plants and poses a major fire risk. 

Asian Long-horned Beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis)

Asian Long-horned Beetle (ALB) is an invasive wood boring beetle spreading through the eastern United States. The larvae feed on the tissues underneath the bark, killing the tree. It attacks maple, birch, elm, ash, poplar, and willow. Once a tree is infested with ALB, there is little that can be done other than removing the tree.

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Coming Soon:

• Second round of DFFM-Sponsored Urban and Community Forestry Inflation Reduction Act Notice of Funding Opportunity / Request For Proposals in early 2025

Technical Assistance Resources for Grants:

Reach out to our team at ucf@dffm.az.gov or consult these resources if you need assistance completing DFFM grant applications:

• Western Environmental Science Technical Assistance for Environmental Justice
• Arizona Economic Resource Center
• USDA Forest Service Community Navigators