KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Two federal grants, totaling $4.3 million, will fund the planting of more trees throughout Knoxville, the city announced Wednesday.
The federal government has awarded $1.7 million to Trees Knoxville, a city of Knoxville nonprofit partner, to plant and maintain 7,500 trees along streets, in parks, at schools, in public housing communities, in historic African-American cemeteries and elsewhere.
The University of Tennessee was awarded another $2.6 million to increase tree canopy coverage, reduce stormwater runoff, mitigate extreme heat and bring ecosystem services to underserved communities in East Knoxville.
Both tree grants were funded through the federal Inflation Reduction Act.
“The investments made possible by these federal grants will be transformative,” Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon said. “We’re going to reverse the slow decline of tree canopy, and in fact prioritizing the greening up of areas that we know are the most in need of additional plantings.”
Knoxville's Urban Forestry Division oversaw a first-ever comprehensive canopy assessment in 2021. That study documented more than 24,000 acres of tree cover in Knoxville—or 38% of the total land area. However, the canopy decreased by 732 acres over a decade, mostly on private property.
The canopy assessment led city officials and Trees Knoxville, with immense public input, to develop a Knoxville Urban Forest Master Plan.
While the city officials generally plant up to 500 trees a year, the IRA funds to Trees Knoxville will pay for three times as many plantings.
The IRA grant to Trees Knoxville will fund the purchase, plantings and care for 1,000 trees on public property each year for five years, plus a giveaway of 500 trees a year for residential plantings. Trees Knoxville also will offer free public tree-care educational events. Additionally, funds will be used to help educate and recruit a landscaping workforce with better knowledge and understanding of proper tree care, such as best planting and pruning practices.
UT’s grant, meanwhile, will complement the work of Trees Knoxville and the city of Knoxville.
