MDC offers TRIM grants and workshops for community forest improvements

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News from the region
Statewide
Published Date
02/28/2014
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is offering grants to assist government agencies, public schools and non-profit groups with the management, improvement, and conservation of trees and forests on public land.

The Tree Resource Improvement and Maintenance (TRIM) cost-share grants range from $1,000 to $25,000 and can help communities fund tree inventories, removal or pruning of hazardous trees, tree planting, and the training of volunteers and city and county employees to best care for community forests. Additional funding for emerald ash borer management is available through a grant from the U.S. Forest Service. The deadline for TRIM grant applications is June 1.

To assist potential grant applicants, MDC will hold the following TRIM-grant workshops throughout the state. Registration is required for all workshops.

  • CAPE GIRARDEAU: March 21, 9 a.m. – noon, MDC Southeast Regional Office, 2302 County Park Drive. Contact MDC Urban Forester Rocky Hayes at 573-290-5730 or Rocky.Hayes@mdc.mo.gov.
  • MACON: March 25, 10 a.m. to noon, Macon County Fairgrounds Floral Hall, Hwy 63 in Macon. Contact MDC Resource Forester Kyle Monroe at 573-248-2508, or Kyle.Monroe@mdc.mo.gov.
  • JOPLIN: March 25, 9 a.m. to noon, Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center, 201 W. Riviera Drive. Contact MDC Urban Forester Jon Skinner at 417-629-3423 ext. 27, or Jon.Skinner@mdc.mo.gov.
  • SPRINGFIELD: March 27, 9 a.m. to noon, MDC Southwest Regional Office, 2630 N. Mayfair Ave. Contact MDC Urban Forester Cindy Garner at 417-895-6881 ext. 1632, or Cindy.Garner@mdc.mo.gov.
  • JEFFERSON CITY: March 28, 10 a.m. to noon, MDC Runge Nature Center, one-third of a mile north of Hwy 50 on Hwy 179. Contact MDC Resource Forester Cory Gregg at 573-796-0286 ext. 25 or Cory.Gregg@mdc.mo.gov.
  • KANSAS CITY: April 16, 10 a.m. to noon, Anita Gorman Discovery Center, 4750 Troost Ave. Contact MDC Urban Forester Wendy Sangster at 816-759.7305, or wendy.sangster@mdc.mo.gov.
  • KIRKWOOD: April 23 at 6 p.m., MDC Powder Valley Nature Center, 11715 Cragwold Road. Contact MDC Urban Forester Mark Grueber at 314-301-1506, ext. 4210, or Mark.Grueber@mdc.mo.gov.

TRIM grants are administered by MDC in cooperation with the Missouri Community Forest Council and the U.S. Forest Service. The program provides reimbursements of $1,000 to $25,000 to grant recipients to fund up to 60 percent of money needed for projects. Projects located in communities with The Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA designation are eligible for an additional 10 percent in matching funds.

Proposals are assessed on a competitive basis for their value to the community, thoroughness as a tree-management program, the ability to promote, improve and develop a community's urban forest, and economic feasibility.

Get more information on TRIM grants, including grant applications and workbooks, online at mdc.mo.gov/node/11123.