FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 23, 2024
City of Kingston Awarded Additional Urban Forestry Grant Funding
KINGSTON, NY – Mayor Steven T. Noble is pleased to announce that the City of Kingston has been awarded an additional $240,824 from the U.S. Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Grants, which was funded through the Federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
The new funding is in addition to the $491,550 that the City of Kingston previously received in July 2024. Both grants, which total $732,374, will support the City’s Community Forest Management Plan Implementation.
In September 2023, the City of Kingston received over $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service to hire a full-time Urban Forester for long-term tree protection and maintenance.
Brent Knepper was recently hired as the City’s first Urban Forester. Knepper has worked in the environmental industry for nine years, with a focus on tree health and safety in urban settings. He is an ISA Certified Arborist with Tree Risk Assessment Qualification credentials, and is a certified Master Naturalist. Previously, he worked as a consulting Urban Forester in the Chicago area for communities who are also grant recipients for the USDA’s Urban and Community Forestry Program.
“We are thrilled to receive this additional funding to support our goal of planting 1,000 trees by 2030, and maintaining and caring for the trees we have,” said Mayor Noble. “Studies show that communities with access to trees and green spaces see improved overall health, reduction in crime, lower average temperatures, and new economic opportunities. In line with the program’s intention, with this funding, we will be able to increase our residents’ equitable access to trees, create more tree cover, diversify our tree types, protect our trees from invasive species, and support the health of our City trees. Recently we welcomed our new Urban Forester to the Kingston team and look forward to having Brent Knepper help us reach these goals.”
“Investing in community green space is a significant step towards revitalizing our cities and towns, and ensuring a sustainable, resilient future for all New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said in her press release. “These investments will help to provide cleaner air and water to every corner of our state, and move us closer to achieving our climate goals.”
Representative Pat Ryan said, “Tree coverage is an absolute necessity for a thriving city and these historic investments will increase canopy cover, improve climate resilience, and create good-paying jobs along the way. I’m proud that this $240,824 will add to the $528,600 from the landmark Inflation Reduction Act that I delivered for Kingston’s urban forestry program last year. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with officials at every level of government as we make the Hudson Valley a sustainable and vibrant home for generations to come.”
Read the Governor’s full press release here: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/ahead-climate-week-governor-hochul-announces-additional-54-million-urban-and-community.
Mayor Noble has set a goal of planting 1,000 trees by 2030 as outlined in the City’s Open Space Plan, and has created a tree counter to record the number of new street and park trees planted in the City of Kingston.