Two projects in Chautauqua County are receiving more than $2.2 million to promote forest resilience.
The State Department of Environmental Conservation announced $45 million in grants to 44 projects promoting forest resilience and climate mitigation through sustainable forest management and reforestation while contributing to the State’s goal of planting 25 million trees.
Through the DEC’s Advancing Forest Markets (AFM) grant initiative, projects across the state will help businesses expand tree seedling and forest product capacity, production, and markets; increase access to affordable native trees; and grow New York State’s forest products economy.
Native Forest Nursery in Busti is receiving $1,797,000 to support an increase in tree seedling production by increasing operational capacity and implementation of standardized production and traceability systems.
Southern Tier Seed and Tree LLC, which is located at the same address as Native Forest Nursery, is receiving $442,600 to support an increase in tree seed collection, processing, storage, and distribution through investment in operational capacity, workforce capacity, and inventory systems to enhance the state’s native seed supply chain.
The DEC said the projects will create new green jobs; provide field-based training across the various stages of the reforestation and forest product sectors; provide critical resources to tree nurseries, seed collection and reforestation operations, forest landowners, forestry businesses, and other organizations working to expand forest product markets and support wood as a renewable resource.
Leave a Reply