CLEVELAND — Cuyahoga County will begin accepting applications for the Healthy Urban Tree Canopy program, which supports the planning, planting and maintenance of thousands of trees across the county. 

It's the sixth round of the program, and since 2019, it has awarded more than $4.7 million to local nonprofits, municipalities and development corporations to help protect, maintain and restore the county's tree canopy.

Since the start of the program, 96 grant recipients have planted more than 11,700 trees, maintained and treated over 2,700 trees for disease and have developed 30 community tree plans.

"Planting trees is not just about enhancing the beauty of our communities; it's a crucial step in addressing climate change," said Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronanyne. "Now, more than ever, we must find ways to be good stewards of our natural resources. The Healthy Urban Tree Canopy program is a powerful tool for communities to grow tree canopies. We strongly encourage communities and nonprofits to apply for this grant program."

The county said this year, the program will shift from a reimbursable grant-based model to a contracted services model — a change that hopes to improve efficiency and impact of the program, while reducing barriers to program applicants and awardees, the county said.

The Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District will be executing contracts on behalf of program pariticpants.

The application portable will go live sometime on Friday, and applications are due by 4 p.m. on June 6. There will also be a webinar on Wednesday, May 14 at 10 a.m. to learn more about the application process.

Where to apply and more information can be found on the Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District's website.