Funding the Care of Urban Forested Natural Areas

This report presents a comprehensive overview of the challenges, benefits, and potential funding sources for urban forested natural areas in the United States. It emphasizes the critical need to diversify funding sources for these underfunded areas, which are distinct from other urban green spaces due to their size, biodiversity, and species composition. 

The report stresses the significant benefits provided by forested natural areas, including their cooling effect on the surrounding landscape, critical habitat for native plants and animals, and their role in mitigating the impacts of climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide and stormwater. Additionally, these areas offer access to urban nature, contributing to public health and social infrastructure. However, urban forested natural areas face numerous challenges, such as limited legal protection, ecological degradation, and lack of management, leading to a decline in their health and accessibility. 

The report gives an overview of current and potential funding sources, including municipal funding, state and federal funding, private funding, and innovative funding sources.

In a nutshell, this resource offers:

• An overview of the benefits of forested natural areas and the challenges these spaces face.
• A snapshot of how natural areas are currently funded in cities across the United States. 
• Potential funding streams to augment management of forested natural areas. 

How to use this resource:

• To connect funding to the health and resilience of urban forests. 
• For examples of funding sources for forested natural areas. 
• To discover untapped sources of funding. 

Author: Sophie Plitt, Brittany Wienke, Clara C. Pregitzer, Sarah Charlop-Powers

Date published: August 14, 2024

Point of contact: Sophie Plitt at sophie.plitt@naturalareasnyc.org

Citation: Plitt, Sophie, Wienke, Brittany, Pregitzer, Clara C.,Charlop-Powers, Sarah. 2024. Funding the Care of Urban Forested Natural Areas: Trends and Case Studies from Across the U.S.. Natural Areas Conservancy. New York, NY.

Resource is available online here.