This project proposes the development of the technical resource for evaluating and enhancing municipal arboriculture planning (tree-map), a practical software tool designed to help communities,…

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded $175,000 to Terracity LLC on September 15, 2025, under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (CFDA 10.212) to develop TREE-MAP, a software tool enabling communities to integrate forestry resources into transportation and infrastructure planning.

TREE-MAP is designed to help rural towns and smaller municipalities identify high-impact areas for tree planting along transportation corridors, evaluate potential economic benefits, and align forestry initiatives with infrastructure investments. The tool will enable municipal leaders, forest owners, and foresters to access data-driven planning solutions that create revenue streams for forest owners, generate forestry service jobs, and strengthen local economies. The project comprises four primary objectives: data collection and processing, model training and algorithm evaluation, web application development, and supporting activities.

Work is performed in Waconia, Minnesota, with a period of performance extending from the award date through March 31, 2027. This Phase I award demonstrates technical feasibility of the innovation and advances it toward commercialization, consistent with SBIR program objectives to transform scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal benefit. The award supports USDA priorities in rural economic development, smarter infrastructure investment, and efficient use of agricultural and forestry resources.

This project proposes the development of the technical resource for evaluating and enhancing municipal arboriculture planning (tree-map), a practical software tool designed to help communities, including rural towns and smaller municipalities, integrate forestry resources into their transportation and infrastructure planning. By providing actionable data and planning tools, tree-map will enable municipal leaders, forest owners, and foresters to identify high-impact areas for tree planting along transportation corridors, evaluate potential economic benefits, and align forestry initiatives with infrastructure investments.without this resource, rural communities risk missing opportunities to create new revenue streams for forest owners, generate jobs in forestry services, and strengthen local economies. Tree-map directly supports USDA and administration priorities in rural economic development, smarter infrastructure investment, and efficient use of agricultural and forestry resources. By linking forestry with municipal planning, this tool helps communities develop new markets for forestry products and services while driving local economic growth. Overall, this project will enable forest owners and foresters to better align their resources with municipal needs, creating economic opportunities for them. In addition to economic benefits, tree-map helps communities make informed, data-driven decisions to improve infrastructure and resource management. The tool connects transportation and forestry planning, allowing even the smallest, most isolated communities to access modern solutions that build economic opportunities and long-term growth. Through this effort, USDA can further integrate forestry as a key driver of rural and municipal development, benefiting forest owners, local economies, and the broader agricultural sector. The project has four primary objectives: (1) data collection and processing, (2) model training and algorithm evaluation, (3) web application development, and (4) stakeholder engagement