Local SUNY campuses receive grants for trees
Gov. Kathy Hochul celebrated Arbor Day on Friday by announcing $15 million in grants through New York state's new Community Reforestation (CoRe) program.
'Resilient urban forests support community health, well-being and sustainability,' Hochul said. 'I'm celebrating Arbor Day 2025 by awarding $15 million in new grants to support projects across the State that will bring the countless ecological and economic benefits of trees to urban areas.'
Two of the grants were awarded locally.
The Research Foundation for the State of New York received $484,910 for SUNY Oneonta Forest Restoration. SUNY Oneonta will plant more than 9,600 native trees and remove invasive species to enhance carbon sequestration and recreation opportunities on campus, as well as host student internships and service-learning opportunities, the release stated.
The Research Foundation for the State of New York also received $423,092 for SUNY Cobleskill Forest Restoration. SUNY Cobleskill will create natural areas on campus by planting more than 5,300 trees across five acres of abandoned agricultural land, providing hands-on educational experiences for students, according to the release.
All CoRe-funded projects will record tree planting input into DEC's Tree Tracker, a GIS tool available for the public to upload every tree planted in New York state. Every New Yorker who uploads a tree planting to the Tree Tracker in April and May will be automatically entered in a sweepstakes for a chance to win a year-long subscription to The Conservationist magazine and 25 Million Trees merchandise, according to the release.
DEC is awarding more than $7.4 million to municipalities, particularly to restore woodlands in public parks. "Invasive species removal and expansion of native forests in these open spaces intends to enhance the ecosystem services provided to local residents, particularly enhanced canopy that provides shade and recreational opportunities," the release stated.
A total of $5.3 million is awarded to not-for-profit organizations for a variety of volunteer-driven projects focused on promoting forest health at the ecosystem-level, from riparian zone enhancement along the Upper Susquehanna watershed to protecting Bronx River ecological health, the release stated.
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