City of McCook awarded $300,000.00 Forestry Grant

McCOOK, Neb.– The City of McCook was recently awarded a $300,000.00 Community Forestry Infrastructure grant from PlantNebraska. The grant was part of $10 million in grant funds awarded to PlantNebraska in 2024 by the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry program.

The goal of the grant program is to improve Nebraska’s community forestry infrastructure by supporting tree removal, care and planting to preserve tree canopy cover; protecting, enhancing and increasing access to watersheds in urban and development areas by focusing on conserving and managing community forests and green stormwater infrastructure; and improving workforce development in the tree care industry by providing pathways for high school students, creating job training programs and connecting newly trained professionals with local tree care companies.

The City of McCook will use the grant funds to safely remove approximately 80 public trees identified through the 2022 Public Tree Inventory which assessed 4,622 public-benefit trees across parks, rights-of-way, and corridors. The inventory flagged trees with at least 75% dieback, severe structural defects, or significant pest/disease. These trees consist primarily of Hackberry, Elm, Ash and Cottonwood. These will be prioritized for removal using a Tree Assessment Matrix scoring condition, defect severity, and proximity to high-use areas such as streets, sidewalks, parks and schools. In accordance with program requirements, all removed trees will be replaced at a minimum 1:1 ratio. Replacement trees will be planted as close as possible to the location of the removed tree.

“We are so pleased to be able to award this grant to the City of McCook, which will profoundly impact the well-being of residents in McCook,” said PlantNebraska Executive Director Hanna Pinneo. “This significant investment will yield important, long-term results. We are proud to partner with the City of McCook to support a greener future.”

“The City of McCook is very appreciative of this opportunity and support from PlantNebraska, said Public Works Director Kyle Potthoff.” This funding will assist us with the removal of deteriorating trees and the planting of new trees which will provide benefits such as shade, habitat and environmental benefits for generations to come.”

For more information about PlantNebraska’s Community Forestry Infrastructure grants, including eligibility requirements and information about the grant application process, visit plantnebraska.org/ucf-grants.