What does Preamble of Neighborhood Tree Act of 2026 do?

This bill amends the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978. The bill aims to provide States and communities with additional assistance. The assistance is intended for planting and maintaining trees.

What does SHORT TITLE. of Neighborhood Tree Act of 2026 do?

This bill is formally titled the Neighborhood Tree Act of 2026.

What does FINDINGS. of Neighborhood Tree Act of 2026 do?

This section outlines findings related to urban forests. It states that healthy urban forests support physical and mental health, air quality regulation, heat island mitigation, energy demand reduction, and stormwater management. Research suggests the benefits of urban forests exceed $18 billion. Maintaining urban forests can create jobs, enhance property values, and support workforce development. Urban forest canopy cover is unevenly distributed, with disparities based on race and income. Historical discriminatory policies, such as redlining, continue to impact urban environments. Neighborhoods with predominantly people of color and low-income areas have significantly less tree canopy cover. Land temperatures are elevated in formerly redlined areas. The Federal Government should prioritize actions to enhance urban forest health and resilience, particularly in underserved communities.

What does NEIGHBORHOOD TREE FUND. of Neighborhood Tree Act of 2026 do?

This section establishes the Neighborhood Tree Fund within the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978. The Secretary is directed to use funds to provide assistance to eligible entities for increasing and improving the health of community tree canopies. Eligible entities include States, Indian Tribes, local units of government, approved organizations, and local community tree volunteer groups. The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, will establish requirements for receiving assistance, including community engagement, tree canopy assessments, and climate change science integration. Priority for assistance will be given to projects in areas with high poverty rates or lower tree canopy and higher temperatures. Projects should optimize climate mitigation and resilience for public health and advance community-led urban agroforestry. No more than 10% of funds can be used for community tree assessments. The Act authorizes appropriations of $100 million for fiscal year 2027, increasing to $700 million for fiscal year 2031.

What does NATIONAL URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY ADVISORY COUNCIL of Neighborhood Tree Act of 2026 do?

This section amends Section 9(g)(2)(A) of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978. The number of members on the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council is increased from 15 to 16. Commas at the end of clauses (i) through (viii) are replaced with periods. The phrase ", and" at the end of clause (ix) is replaced with a period. A new clause (x) is added requiring 3 members with expertise in urban and community forestry who are not government employees. One of these new members must be a resident of a community with a population of less than 50,000. Another of these new members must be a resident of a low-income community, as determined by the Secretary.

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Neighborhood Tree Act of 2026

Last updated: 4/27/2026 · Introduced: 4/27/2026

Author: Cory Booker (D-NJ)

TL;DR (AI)

This bill establishes the Neighborhood Tree Fund, providing $700 million by 2031 to support tree planting and maintenance projects in communities, prioritizing areas with high poverty rates, low tree canopy cover, and elevated temperatures.
The bill amends the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act to create a National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council with an expanded membership, including experts in urban forestry from diverse community backgrounds.
To ensure equitable distribution of benefits, the bill directs assistance towards projects that integrate community engagement, climate science, and urban agroforestry, addressing historical disparities in urban forest canopy cover.

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Other Sections

Includes provisions on preamble, short title., and 3 more.

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