Think Out Loud

Broadcast: Monday, June 24

FILE: Massive trees in Columbia View Park in Gresham, pictured here on July 6, 2022.

FILE: Massive trees in Columbia View Park in Gresham, pictured here on July 6, 2022.

Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB

Oregon’s urban and community forestry program has grown significantly over the last few years thanks to an influx of state and federal funding. The program’s staff has more than tripled, and it recently received nearly $27 million in federal funding through the Inflation Reduction Act. Of that, $10 million is earmarked for grants to Oregon’s nine federally recognized tribes, and $12.5 million will go to communities and organizations across the state to help with tree planting and maintenance.

Scott Altenhoff is the urban and community forestry program manager for the Oregon Department of Forestry. He joins us to talk about what those opportunities could mean for the state’s urban forests.

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