Dec. 26—The city of Norwich will receive a $29,831 urban forest assessment grant from the state Department of Environmental Conservation, Commissioner Basil Seggos announced Friday.

The grant Norwich received was part of grant awards totaling $978,820 for urban forest assessment and planning projects across the state, a media release said. The projects “provide urban forest managers with an essential baseline understanding of urban forest conditions and support strategies to assess community forest needs and the equitable distribution of forest benefits,” according to the release.

“Healthy urban and community forests provide a host of environmental, economic, and social benefits by reducing air pollution, enhancing wildlife habitat, protecting watersheds, mitigating flooding, increasing property values and improving public health,” Seggos said in the release. “DEC is making sustained investments in the health of New York’s environment and our communities through the State’s Environmental Protection Fund, providing crucial assistance to help forests thrive.”

The awards are the first in Round 16 of the Urban and Community Forestry Grants from the Tree Inventory and Community Forest Management Plan categories. The 18 projects to receive funding were selected from 28 applications, evaluated on cost effectiveness, project planning, use of partnerships, support of disadvantaged communities and inclusion of an outreach and education component. A second grant award announcement for Round 16 for the Tree Maintenance and Tree Planting categories will be announced in 2024.

Norwich will use the grant for a tree inventory and management plan, the release said.

Vicky Klukkert, staff writer, can be reached at vklukkert@thedailystar.com or 607-441-7221.