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Miami-Dade County’s Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) recently was awarded a $25,000 grant by the Florida Forest Service to increase public awareness about the county’s work growing local urban forests.
Since 2023, DERM’s Urban Forestry and Tree Division has planted more than 20,000 trees as part of the county’s Urban Forestry Plan, which aims to expand the tree canopy from the current 20 percent to the goal of 30 percent by 2030.
The new grant will fund critical community outreach including new educational signage and a catalyst program to develop neighborhood tree leaders and increased civic engagement.
These programs will focus especially on low-shade communities that have lost much of their historic tree cover.
“Receiving grants like this allows us to do more than plant trees, it empowers us to educate our community about why our urban forests matter,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “When people understand that growing our tree canopy results in cleaner air, cooler streets, and healthier neighborhoods, they become partners in protecting and nurturing our urban forest.”
The award leverages another grant received through Citizens for a Better South Florida to activate historic Camp Choee. Since the County purchased the 14-acre pine rockland forest from Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida, the forested areas have undergone intense restoration.
The non-alcoholic Athletic Brewing Company recently awarded its “Two for the Trails” conservation grant to re-engage the community and bring them back to Camp Choee.
“Our tree canopy has become a critical part of our local infrastructure by protecting residents from heat, increasing property values through beautification, absorbing stormwater and reducing flooding after rain events,” said Loren Parra, DERM director and Miami-Dade County’s chief resilience officer. “Every resident can play a role in protecting our canopy. And grants like these help us to build both our canopy and a more educated, empowered community.”
To read more about Miami-Dade County’s tree planting efforts and the Urban Forestry Plan, visit miamidade.gov/trees.
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