Warsaw, VA – Friends of the Rappahannock is excited to announce the award of multiple grants and contracts to accelerate urban and community forestry projects and important conservation programs across the Rappahannock River watershed. Over one million dollars in new grant funding has been awarded to Friends of the Rappahannock and conservation partners of the Rappahannock River Roundtable to support important tree planting projects in the Rappahannock River Watershed, with a specific focus on disadvantaged communities, Tribal lands, and regions at risk from climate change.
“These projects will directly address concerns raised by recent urban heat island studies, help mitigate flooding and pollution from stormwater runoff, provide valuable wildlife habitat, and a wide range of other ecosystem services”, said Sarah Dishman, FOR Urban and Community Forestry Specialist. “We are super excited to work with so many great partners to make these projects happen. Tons of schools, homeowners associations, local Parks and Recreation, Tree Stewards, volunteers, Tree Fredericksburg, private nurseries and arborist companies, Virginia Department of Forestry, and now the Rappahannock Tribe!”
The most recent award provides $300,000 of funding to the Rappahannock Tribe to support work on their newly acquired ancestral lands on the Rappahannock River in the Northern Neck. This is through the Arbor Day Foundation’s Community Roots grant.
“The Rappahannock Tribe is excited to receive funding for forest management and conservation job training on tribal lands.” Said Chief Anne Richardson of the Rappahannock Tribe. “Specifically, this grant will continue the Tribe’s ecosystem restoration vision at its repatriated property Pissacoack. The Tribe would like to thank the Arbor Day Foundation and especially thank its partner Friends of Rappahannock for making this opportunity a reality.”
Funding for these projects is partly provided by the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service, Urban, and Community Forestry Program in partnership with Arbor Day Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund, the George Washington Regional Commission through a grant from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, multiple grants from the Virginia Department of Forestry, and private foundation support.
These projects will take place over the next two years, beginning October 2024 through December 2026. We are planning project sites in the Piedmont, Northern Neck, Middle Peninsula, and greater Fredericksburg areas and are currently looking for new projects and partners! Working with all the amazing partners, this program will plant thousands of trees on public and private properties, combat invasive species, provide educational and training opportunities for students and volunteers, and create healthier communities from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay.
“We have over four million trees to plant in the Rappahannock River Watershed to achieve our goals for a healthy and scenic Rappahannock River”. said Dishman. “We are so fortunate to have such an amazing community supporting these projects!”
Are you planting trees this Fall? Help us meet our tree planting goals and #TRACKYOURTREE You can report any tree/shrubs you plant on your property with this tool from the Virginia Department of Forestry! Or simply email [email protected] and let us know! CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information or to learn about volunteer opportunities, visit riverfriends.org/events/ or contact Volunteer and Outreach Manager Lis Heras at [email protected].
Are you a public or private school looking to plant trees on your school campus? Or are your students interested in volunteering to plant trees with us? Check out this link to sign up for the TREES FOR SCHOOLS PROGRAM
