H.R. 8474 — Neighborhood Tree Act of 2026

This section states congressional findings on the benefits of healthy urban forests, including support for community health, air quality regulation, urban heat island mitigation, energy demand reduction, stormwater management, and other advantages valued at over $18 billion; opportunities for workforce development and job creation; and inequities in urban tree canopy cover, with neighborhoods primarily inhabited by people of color having 33% less cover than majority-white neighborhoods and low-income areas having 41% less than low-poverty areas, exacerbated by historical policies such as redlining that result in elevated land temperatures of 2.6°C on average (up to 7°C). The section concludes that the federal government should accelerate investments in priority communities to enhance urban forest health and resilience and reduce related disparities.

This section establishes the Neighborhood Tree Fund under the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 to provide financial assistance to states, Indian tribes, local governments, approved organizations, and community tree volunteer groups for increasing and improving community tree canopy health. (As background, the Act authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to support urban and community forestry through grants and technical assistance.) The Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, must establish assistance requirements covering community engagement, tree canopy assessments, climate science integration, site preparation and species selection, and monitoring and maintenance. Priority goes to projects in census tracts with poverty rates of 20% or higher (per 2014-2018 American Community Survey data, including Home Owners’ Loan Corporation “hazardous” or “definitely declining” areas), neighborhoods with lower tree canopy and higher summer temperatures, those optimizing climate mitigation and public health, or community-led urban agroforestry and tree-based food production. Not more than 10% of annual funds may be used for community tree assessments. The section authorizes appropriations for the fund of $100 million for FY2025, $200 million for FY2026, $400 million for FY2027, $600 million for FY2028, and $700 million for FY2029.

This section revises the composition of the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council by increasing its membership to 16 (from 15) members and replacing the tenth membership category with three members who are not governmental officers or employees, have expertise in urban and community forestry, and include (1) one resident of a community with a population of less than 50,000 as of the most recent census and (2) one resident of a low-income community, as determined by the Secretary. (The council advises the Secretary of Agriculture on urban and community forestry assistance programs.)