CUYAHOGA COUNTY, OH — Cuyahoga County will soon begin accepting applications for the Healthy Urban Tree Canopy (HUTC) program. This is the sixth round of the program to support planning, planting, and maintenance of thousands of trees across the County.

Since 2019 the HUTC grant program has awarded more than $4.75 million in funding support to municipalities, community development corporations, and other non-profits to help protect, restore, and maintain trees across Cuyahoga County. Since the first round of grants, 96 grant recipients have planted 11,765 trees, maintained and treated 2,757 mature trees for disease, and developed 30 community tree plans.

"Planting trees is not just about enhancing the beauty of our communities; it's a crucial step in addressing climate change," said Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne. Now, more than ever, we must find ways to be good stewards of our natural resources. The Healthy Urban Tree Canopy program is a powerful tool for communities to grow tree canopies. We strongly encourage communities and nonprofits to apply for this grant program."

In 2025, the HUTC Program will be shifting from a reimbursable grant-based model to a contracted services model. Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) will be executing contracts on behalf of program participants to perform tree planning, planting, and maintenance activities. This programmatic change aims to improve efficiency and impact of the HUTC program, while reducing barriers and burdens to program applicants and awardees. Additional information on the PY2025 HUTC Program, including application information, will be released today on the Cuyahoga SWCD website.

 "Growing our tree canopy is critical to ensuring our County is healthy and resilient in the face of climate change," said Cuyahoga County Deputy Chief of Staff for Climate and Sustainability Jenita McGowan. "Trees keep our neighborhoods cooler during extreme heat and absorb carbon from the atmosphere. The Healthy Urban Tree Canopy is an outstanding partnership with municipalities and nonprofits that will positively impact our communities both now and for generations to come."

HUTC program partners include the County Planning Commission, the Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District, the Cuyahoga County Department of Sustainability, and the Cuyahoga County Board of Health.

“Trees serve as critical infrastructure in urbanized communities, contributing to cleaner air, stormwater control and improved water quality, lower energy costs, and increased property values,” said Kristin Hall, Executive Director of Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District. “Cuyahoga SWCD is excited to play a bigger role in implementing tree projects across Cuyahoga County, while increasing the efficiency and impact of the HUTC Program.”

The application portal will go live on today, and applications are due June 6, at 4:00pm. Those interested are encouraged to register for the virtual applicant webinar on Wednesday, May 14, at 10:00am. All HUTC application materials and resources can be found on the Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District website at www.cuyahogaswcd.org/HUTC.