Skip to main content

Official website

of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

    The .gov means it's official.

    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 
    Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

    Get Help With Trees in Your Community

    Communities that qualify can get help with planning for, planting, and caring for trees by applying to the PA Community Tree Assistance Program through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

    Apply Now

    PA Community Tree Assistance Program

    The PA Community Tree Assistance Program helps communities that need support caring for their trees. 

    Trees in cities and towns can help manage stormwater, control sediment erosion, and help reduce the impacts of extreme heat by cooling neighborhoods and reducing energy costs.

    Through the PA Community Tree Assistance Program, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) will contract directly with trusted tree-care professionals who will perform the work in eligible and approved communities.

    Municipalities and nonprofits are encouraged to contact DCNR Urban and Community Forestry staff for assistance and to discuss the project before applying.

    Eligible Community Tree Activities

    Municipalities and nonprofit organizations can request help with:

    • Planting new trees and caring for them as they grow
    • Pruning and caring for existing trees to keep them healthy
    • Inventorying trees and creating management plans
    • Checking for tree hazards and making needed safety improvements

    Projects must take place in public or community spaces like parks, street trees, cemeteries, and school grounds. Private property is not eligible for this program.

    Small communities are encouraged to bundle projects and work together. Projects should range from $5,000 to $50,000 in total cost. Larger projects should consider applying for a DCNR Community and Watershed Forestry grant.

    Eligibility

    Communities can apply if they fall within priority areas identified by federal and state environmental justice screening tools, which can be viewed in the Layers tab in DCNR's PATreeKeeper map.

    After a project is approved, DCNR will hire pre-qualified tree-care professionals to complete the work at no cost to the communities.

    Become a Tree Care Provider

    Tree-care experts including arborists, foresters, and landscape professionals, can apply to become approved vendors through the Commonwealth’s Invitation to Qualify program.

    Funding for the program comes from the Inflation Reduction Act, the U.S. Forest Service, the Keystone Tree Fund, and other sources.

    DCNR Urban and Community Forestry Program

    Trees and forests play a vital role in addressing climate change as they pull in and store carbon (a process that also helps with clean air), as well as reducing energy costs, slowing runoff after storms, reducing noise, and attracting birds and wildlife. 

     

    DCNR’s Urban and Community Forestry program helps build capacity within communities to plan for, plant, and care for trees. 

     

    Pennsylvanians can support tree planting efforts by donating to the Keystone Tree Fund through an online form or a voluntary $3 check-off on driver’s license and vehicle registration renewals. The fund supports planting trees in communities and along waterways.