The 3-year Growing Tree Canopy through Environmental Justice project focused on delivering in-depth community engagement with tree canopy in the heavily urbanized and impaired Anacostia watershed. With pilot communities in Wards 7&8 of Washington, DC and inside-the-beltway urbanized communities in Prince George’s County, Maryland, the project brought together a robust, cross-boundary partnership to achieve tree canopy and community engagement goals included in the Chesapeake Tree Canopy Management Strategy. The project was funded by a grant from the USDA Forest Service to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. This organization is an equal opportunity provider. Project partners include the District of Columbia Urban Forestry Division, Lillie Leaf Solutions, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Prince George’s County Department of Environment and American Forests.
Accomplishments included:
- 5 Case studies of effective community engagement strategies: Baltimore MD, Detroit MI, New Jersey, Oakland CA, and Portland OR.
- A Chesapeake Bay Workshop on Tree Canopy, Environmental Justice, and Community Engagement
- Local community engagement in 5 pilot communities in the Anacostia watershed
- Tree planting and stewardship projects in pilot communities funded by partner programs