Green Municipal Fund Grant

Green Municipal Fund (GMF) Grant for Urban Forestry Plans

What the grant is:

• The Green Municipal Fund (GMF) grant titled “Urban Forestry Plans and Studies” offers up to 80% funding of eligible costs (and up to 90% or 100% in certain northern, remote or Indigenous communities) for plans/studies that strengthen urban forests.
• Maximum grant: up to $175,000 per application.
• Eligible applicants: Canadian municipal governments (cities, towns, districts, local boards) or organizations in partnership with a municipality (including Indigenous communities, non-profits).
• The plan or study must focus on the community’s trees/forest, and be part of one or more categories such as:
  • Urban forest strategy or plan
  • Tree planting strategy or plan
  • Urban forestry policy or guideline
  • Community engagement strategy around urban forestry
  • Urban forest assessment/analysis (e.g., inventory, canopy cover, vulnerability).
• Key criteria:
  • The work must contribute to future tree-planting initiatives in the community.
  • The plan/study must outline how the community will implement the results into real measurable change.
  • Must be completed within ~two years.
• Deadline and applications: Applications accepted until April 15, 2026 (or until funds are fully committed).

Why it’s beneficial

• Large financial incentive for municipalities: covering up to 80% (and more for small/remote/Indigenous) means less burden on municipal budgets for strategic tree work.
• Strategic long-term gains: The grant supports not just planting, but planning and policy. This means communities can build frameworks for their tree canopy rather than one-off efforts.
• Climate resilience & ecosystem benefits: Trees and urban forests contribute to biodiversity, carbon capture, heat-island mitigation, stormwater management, and general human health/urban livability. The grant explicitly asks for socio-economic, biodiversity and ecosystem health considerations.
• Equity & access: It also supports plans that prioritise equity-deserving communities (i.e., neighbourhoods with fewer trees historically) and ensures resource distribution and access to long-term benefits of trees.
• Professional backing & capacity building: GMF provides coaching from urban forestry professionals to help applicants scope, analyse, and align with best practices.
• Better decision-making/data: Because one category is “assessment and analysis”, communities can build inventories, canopy mapping, risk assessment — enabling smarter decisions rather than reactive tree planting.

Green Drop Tree Care can help

Given that Green Drop Tree Care specializes in tree planting, health care, consulting, inventory work and managing municipal contracts, we’re ideally suited to play a strong consulting/implementation role in the following areas:

• Project scoping & application support: We can assist municipalities in crafting the plan/study needed for the grant — helping define objectives, project deliverables, budget, timeline, methodology, and required documentation (which is key for eligibility).
• Tree inventory & assessment services: Since one eligible category is “urban forest assessment/analysis”, Green Drop can perform tree inventories, canopy cover/plantable area analysis, risk assessments, and baseline studies.
• Strategy & policy development assistance: We can help municipalities develop the tree-planting strategy, update existing urban forest management plans, prepare operational plans, create policies/guidelines for planting/maintenance/tree protection.
• Community engagement & education: With our experience in leading workshops and educational programs (schools/parks) our team can design and deliver the engagement part of the plan — which aligns with the grant’s category of community engagement strategy for urban forestry.
• Implementation and post-study services: After the plan/study is completed, Green Drop Tree Care can help execute tree planting, ongoing care, monitoring and maintenance — turning the plan into action (which the grant requires: demonstration of implementation).
• Municipal partner credentials: Green Drop Tree Care has decades of tree care experience, certified arborist qualifications (ISA, TRAQ), and experience working with municipal public works with clients in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta. You can have confidence that working with our firm means the municipality gets a credible partner.
• Grant-readiness consultation: We can guide municipalities on the application process: readiness check, document requirements, budget eligible costs, timeline for the 2-year completion window, and help them navigate GMF’s submission steps.
• Tailored to region: Since Green Drop works in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, we have local/regional knowledge of prairie/woodland tree species, and unique challenges (e.g., extreme winter, rodents, overhead utilities) – making the plan more relevant and effective.

Contact Green Drop Tree Care to get started on the process of submitting your municipal grant application.