The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is offering its annual cost-share grants to assist government entities and non-profit groups with the management, improvement, and conservation of trees and forests on public land. The Tree Resource Improvement and Maintenance (TRIM) cost-share grants can help communities fund tree inventories, removal or pruning of hazardous trees, tree planting, and the training of volunteers and city/county employees to best care for community forests.

“By accessing these cost share grants, Missouri communities can do more to plan and manage their trees,” said MDC Community Forestry Programs Supervisor Russell Hinnah. “TRIM grant recipients focus on keeping their neighborhood trees healthy and thriving, which translates to a whole host of social, economic, and environmental benefits for the community and the state. Properly caring for your community’s trees helps make your town safe and beautiful.”

TRIM grants are administered by MDC in cooperation with the Missouri Community Forest Council. The program provides reimbursements of $1,000 to $10,000 to grant recipients to fund up to 60 percent of money needed for projects. Projects located in communities with the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA designation are eligible for an additional 15 percent in matching funds.

TRIM applicants must submit a completed application by June 7. Applications must include details on project costs and funding sources, maps and drawings of the project site, and a narrative outlining the purpose and anticipated long-term impacts of the project. Additional details, including the grant application forms, are available at mdc.mo.gov/trim. Proposals are assessed on a competitive basis for their value to the community, the ability to promote, improve and develop a community’s urban forest, and economic feasibility.

Trim Grant Workshops

To assist potential grant applicants, MDC will hold a TRIM grant workshop in Columbia on April 18 from 10 a.m. to noon at the MDC Central Regional Office, 3500 E. Gans Road. To Register, email ann.koenig@mdc.mo.gov.

MDC will also hold a TRIM grant workshop in Kirkwood on April 30 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the MDC Powder Valley Nature Center, 11715 Cragwold Road. Register by calling 314-301-1500.

For assistance in areas of the state where no workshops are scheduled, contact a local MDC forester. Find MDC contacts at mdc.mo.gov/regional-contacts?county=All.