The Neighborhood Tree Act of 2026 would amend the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 to create a new Neighborhood Tree Fund to help states, tribes, local governments, approved organizations, and community tree volunteer groups plant, improve, and maintain urban tree canopy. The bill is built around the idea that healthy urban forests provide public health, environmental, and economic benefits, including better air quality, reduced heat-island effects, lower energy demand, stormwater management, workforce development, and higher property values. It also cites research showing that tree canopy is unevenly distributed and that low-income communities and communities of color often have less tree cover and greater heat exposure.
Under the bill, the Secretary of Agriculture would establish the fund and use it to provide assistance for projects that increase and improve tree canopy in communities. The bill directs the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, to set requirements for community engagement, canopy assessments, climate-science-based project design, site preparation, species selection, monitoring, and maintenance. It also gives priority to projects in high-poverty census tracts, areas with lower canopy and higher summer temperatures, projects that maximize climate mitigation and public health benefits, and community-led urban agroforestry or local food production efforts.
The bill would also authorize substantial federal funding for the new fund, starting at $100 million in fiscal year 2027 and rising to $700 million by fiscal year 2031. In addition, it would expand the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council from 15 to 16 members and revise the membership structure so that the council includes additional non-governmental experts, including one resident of a small community and one resident of a low-income community.
The bill’s impact on state and local law would be indirect but significant: it would create a new federal grant and assistance framework that states, tribes, and local entities could use to support urban forestry programs, tree planting, and maintenance. It would not appear to preempt state law, but it would shape how eligible projects are designed and prioritized, especially in disadvantaged neighborhoods and communities facing heat and canopy inequities. It would also likely affect state forestry agencies, municipal governments, and community organizations that seek federal support for urban tree initiatives.
There is no recorded committee debate or vote history in the provided materials, so the overall sentiment cannot be measured from floor or committee action. Based on the bill text, the measure appears broadly supportive of environmental justice, climate resilience, and public health goals, with an emphasis on underserved communities. The main likely points of contention are the size of the authorized appropriations, the federal role in directing local tree-planting priorities, and the bill’s use of poverty and historical redlining indicators to target funding.
The bill would amend the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 to establish a federal Neighborhood Tree Fund and authorize annual appropriations for urban and community forestry assistance. It would direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide grants or assistance to states, tribes, local governments, approved organizations, and volunteer tree groups for tree canopy assessment, planting, maintenance, and related project planning. It would also revise the composition of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council, increasing membership and adding representation from a small community and a low-income community.
No committee transcript or vote data were provided, so there is no recorded legislative sentiment to summarize from debate or roll call. The bill text itself reflects a strongly favorable policy framing around urban forestry, public health, climate resilience, and environmental justice, suggesting the sponsors intend it as a broadly beneficial investment in community tree canopy. The measure is presented as a targeted response to inequities in tree cover and heat exposure, especially in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color.
The bill text does not include explicit opposition, but likely areas of contention include the scale of the proposed federal spending, the extent of federal direction over local tree-planting priorities, and the use of poverty, census tract, and historical redlining criteria to prioritize funding. Some stakeholders may also question the administrative burden of canopy assessments, climate-science requirements, and long-term maintenance obligations. Supporters are likely to include environmental, public health, and environmental justice advocates, while critics may focus on cost, federalism, or the targeting methodology.