Trump administration unfreezes money for Philly Tree Plan

Money from a $12 million federal grant for the Philly Tree Plan that had been frozen amid Trump administration scrutiny has been unfrozen — at least for now.

It came as a bit of a surprise this week to City Council when it learned money had started flowing again to help pay for the city’s goal of greatly increasing the number of trees in multiple neighborhoods as a way to address increasing heat and provide overall beautification.

Casey Kuklick, deputy commissioner of Philadelphia’s new Office of Clean and Green, broke the news to a largely unaware City Council during a budget hearing Wednesday.

“They have actually resumed payments,” Kuklick told Council President Kenyatta Johnson.

“Glad to hear,” Johnson said.

Council learned during a March 5 hearing that the funds from a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service grant had been frozen. At the time, it was uncertain whether the money would ever be released or how a lack of funding would affect the program, which also receives financial support from the city and nonprofits.

The money had been frozen as the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was ramping up cuts.

The USDA sent The Inquirer a statement saying that it “has resumed processing invoices for this award.”

The statement said that the grant had been under review “to ensure alignment with [the] administration’s priorities.”

Ra’Chelle Rogers, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation department, confirmed Thursday that the grant has restarted.

“Federal payments were on hold for a brief time,” Rogers said, ”but last month the requested reimbursements were paid."

» READ MORE: Trump administration freezes $12 million meant to help Philly plant thousands of trees

Rogers did not say how much of the money had been paid.

The $12 million grant was to be spread over five years. It was first earmarked under the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act.

The nonprofit Public Health Management Corp. (PHMC) is the lead applicant of the grant, which involves multiple partners. Those partners include Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, PowerCorpsPHL, Fairmount Park Conservancy, Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia, and the city school district.

Partners submit invoices to PHMC, which then disburses the money. Those disbursements, which began starting July 1, had to be put on hold until recently.

“I think the best way to look at it is that the grant was on a pause, was under review,” said Kristine Gonnella, PHMC’s managing director of strategy development.

It was not clear whether the newly unfrozen funds would continue to be released in future years. A USDA spokesperson could not be reached immediately for comment.

» READ MORE: How a $12M federal grant has jump-started Philly’s plan to grow its tree canopy

The Philly Tree Plan was started under the administration of former Mayor Jim Kenney. A study by Philadelphia and the University of Vermont’s Spatial Analysis Lab found that the city’s tree canopy had declined by 6% between 2008 and 2018, or about the equivalent of 1,000 football fields. The loss was due to development, lack of maintenance, removal of yard trees, invasive pests and diseases, and climate change. The biggest amount of tree canopy was lost on residential properties, but also significant amounts along streets.

The goal of the plan is to bring the tree canopy up to approximately 30% across neighborhoods.

In the first year of implementation, the plan’s partners have focused on planning and capacity building to support and grow existing tree programs, especially in seven priority neighborhoods. This includes efforts to grow tree canopy and protect existing trees, build workforce skills around tree care and maintenance, develop community trust, and ensure ongoing community engagement in the Philly Tree Plan.

The grant was to help create a group, the Philly Tree Coalition, that will have two-full time paid staff members. The staff will implement the plan, oversee fundraising, and coordinate with local, state, and federal governments in what is expected to be the planting of thousands of trees on public property, on sidewalks, and outside residences — as well as helping maintain the trees.

The coalition will be housed at the Center City headquarters of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

Gonnella stressed that the Tree Plan is also viewed as an economic driver, providing jobs as it expands the tree canopy.

“We really see this as an effort to support our workforce, our businesses,” Gonnella said. “That money is accessible to our smaller community-based organizations who are doing the work and driving economic opportunity. Job opportunities is really a huge value.”