APPENDIX_B.pdf

APPENDIX B

GRANT APPLICATION PROJECT NARRATIVE

PROJECT NARRATIVE

1. Project Scope Alignment:

Describe the issues this project is seeking to address and how the project will contribute to the goals in this funding opportunity, including congressional, lustice4O, Forest Action Pla nsS and Ten-Year Urban and Communitv Forestrv Action Plan (2016-2025) priorities.

The City of Jackson, Michigan was founded and established in 1829. ln the 1920s and 1930s, the City of Jackson grew from a small farm town into a mid-size manufacturing city with over twenty auto manufacturers. The City of Jackson was once a prosperous neighborhood with many businesses and well-built and maintained homes. The neighborhoods has changed and struggled to regain their early economic and community stability due to historic disinvestment and disenfranchisement of its residents. Disinvestment occurred through the "Residential

Security Maps" classification that, from 1935 to 1940, created risk maps which identified

"redlined" areas where banks were advised against lendinS. Due to its size, Jackson was one of 239 cities that received a risk map for lenders. The redlined area in Jackson resulted in reduced resources and denying residents access to capital for housing or businesses.

Years of poor urban planning in the form of the Urban Renewal and community disinvestment resulted in the demolition of 546 homes. The loss of homeownership in the community directly impacted the neighborhood's economy. Based on the U.S. Census Bureau of Reports, homeownership remains the number one builder of wealth. Prior to Urban Renewal, homeownership in the community was77yo. Today, it is under 15%.

Current demographic, economic, and environmental indicators show that residents of the redlined community still face challenges and disadvantages and have lower expected life outcomes. Strategic investment is needed to help counter the historic disinvestment. The reforestation of the City is recognized as an important tool in reversing shortcomings of the past to aid to revitalize the neighborhoods and the region.

During a similar timeframe as the neighborhood residents were being impacted by community disinvestment, the urban forest adjacent to the neighborhood homes was under attack by a number of tree borne "diseases" starting with Dutch elm disease in the 1950s and 1970s and the emerald ash borer in the 2000's. Both of these diseases took a significant toll on the urban forest in the City of Jackson and, unfortunately with the other economic impacts on the community and its growing loss of tax base from industry and population, there was no interest or funding to expand the urban forest let alone replace the trees lost to these diseases.

The Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) identifies 12 census tracts within the

City of lackson (see Figure 1). A summary of the data from CEJST by census tract is shown in

Table 1. This data shows all but one census tract (cT 8) is identified as disadvantaged. Based on census tract data, 85% of the City of Jackson is considered disadvantaged based on the federal definition.

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Figure 1. Census Tracts from CEJST

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Table 1. Summary of Census Tract Population from CEJST cr

I ti;

Percent of Total Population ldentified as Disadvantaged census Tract 2010 lD I Total Population without Considering Nei hbors

26o7sooo10o (cT 1)

2607s000200 (cT 2)

25075000400 (CT 4)

2507s000500 (cT s)

2507s000600 (cT 5)

2607s000800 (cT 8)

26o7sooo9oo (cT 9)

2607s001000 {cT 10)

26075001100 (Cr 11)

2607s001200 (cT 12)

26075001300 (CT 13)

2607s006900 (cT 69)

3,220 2,785 3,995

7,750 1,001

4,633 3,068 2,313

1,989 2,284 2,583 2,9s2

9.9%

8.5%

12.2%

5.4%

3.t% 14.2%

9.4%

7 .1%

6.7%

7 .O%

8.2%

9.0%

TRUE

TRUE

TRUE

TRU E

TRUE

FALSE

TRUE

TRUE

TRUE

TRUE

TRUE

TRUE

Total Population: I 32,673 Disadvantaged Population 28,o4o (excludes Census Tract 26075000800)

85.4%Percent Disadvantaged

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I cr 12 cre cT5

This project proposes to work with trained arborists to develop and populate software to prepare a complete inventory of the current urban forest within the public rights of way utilizing current technologies including laptops, GPS equipment, forestry data collection applications, and GIS software. This city-wide inventory will allow the City to evaluate their cUrrent forest and make planning decisions on the best use of funds to strengthen the current tree canopy. By collecting and creating this city-wide information, the City will be equipped to choose planting locations and tree species to begin reforestation. This will also allow the bundling of existing resources and the grant funds to begin a four-year program to increase and improve the current urban tree stock. lt will also prepare the City for future investment in the urban forest.

The objectives of the Urban Reforestation Program would be:

1. Create a tree inventory and management plan;

2. Plant a diversified selection of trees;

3. Conduct maintenance such as trimminS, pest & disease control, fertilizing, etc.; and

4. Remove stumps and hazardous, diseased, and invasive trees.

These objectives would improve the low number and quality of the existing tree canopy throughout the City of Jackson. This program will also improve the resilience of urban forest by diversification of the tree stock within the City. These ideas are in direct alignment with the "Ten-Year Urban and Community Forestry Action Plan."; specifically, Goal 3 and Goal 4.

Goal 3. Cultivote Diversity, Equity, ond Leodership Within the Urbon Forestry Community

A: lncreose diversity, equity, ond occessibility in urbon ond community forestry.

B: Engage underserved communities in urbon ond community forestry.

The tree inventory will be conducted across the entire city. A city-wide inventory is necessary to assess the condition of the current urban forest and ensure an even distribution of trees throughout the City. Tree plantlng, maintenance, and removals willoccur in areas identified as

"disadva ntaged."

Gool 4. Strengthen Urban and Community Forest Heolth and Biodiversity for Long-Term Resilience

A: lncreose the biodiversity, heolth, and resilience of trees in urbon and community forests.

B: Foster resilience, restorotion, ond sustoinobility of urbon ond community forests focing climote chonge

The addition to the tree canopy will aid in mitigating the urban heat island effect to protect the health of the community.

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2. lmplementation Strategy/Methodology/Timeline:

Provide a detailed explanation of the proposed approach, methodology, operations strategies, project sched ule/timeline with goals/milestones, expected accomplishments or measurable outcomes, and project assessment/evaluation methods.

The City proposes a 4 year project approach. The first year involves the development of a city-wide tree inventory, which after its completion in the first year, would then be used on an annual basis to manage and upgrade the urban forest of the City of Jackson. Reforestation will occur in each of the 4 years. Additional details for each year are discussed below. This project would be a total cost of S7 57 ,275 and a match waiver is requested as tree pla nting, maintenance, and removal willoccur in "disadvantaged communities." Additional information regarding match waiver is discussed in Section 5, Evidence of Disadvantaged Community Status

YCaLI: lssuance of a Request for Proposal (RFP) to contract with a forestry company to complete a computerized inventory of all of the trees within public rights of way. The inventory would include GPS locations, genus, species, caliper size and tree health of every tree. This information would be uploaded to the city-wide GIS system to provide a complete database of the urban forest. The information would be available to share between all the various City departments. Upon completion of the inventory, it will be reviewed by the company that prepared it and a tree management plan will be developed. This willallow ease and consistency in determining planting sites and the appropriate tree species based on site size and location. Utilizing the tree management plan, the City will start an initial reforestation program and removal of some of the most hazardous trees.

Years 2-4: The existing inventory and tree management plan will be reviewed to determine planting sites and appropriate tree species for those sites. The City would continue with the reforestation program and contract with a certified arborist to identify tree species based on size of planting area, existing utilities, overhead obstructions. Using these factors, a group of diverse species would be identified that would be best suited for planting based on the location factors. This continued approach would assure the Sreatest success of developing a healthy and resilient urban tree stock. A portion of the fund ing would a lso be used for tree maintenance activities such as trimming, pest & disease control, or fertilizing. In addition, funding would be used to remove any hazardous, unhealthy, or invasive tree along with stump removal and related restoration. This would allow these previous locations that included trees to be prepped and included as sites for future consideration of tree plantlngs. Theactivities proposed ln years 2-4 will be completed by city staff and contractors retained through competitive bid process.

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3. Capability and Capacity:

Describe how each contributing organization is suited for (mission) and qualified to deliver the pro.iect. Provide the names, titles, and organization affiliation and specific roles of key personnel for the project. lnclude qualifications and experience of key personnel to implement, monitor, and assess/report project outcome.

The City of Jackson has extensive experience and staffing that has successfully utilized federal funds for community improvement projects. The City is an entitlement community and has been the recipient of CDBG funds since 1974. The City has received funding from numerous other sources including transportation funding which have included STP, HISP and the City's

Major Street fund. The City has completed more than a dozen pro.iects over the last three years using a combination of these funds. They have also received funding for Safe Routes to School

Grants and Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund Grants.

This project would be administered by City staff with assistance from consulting firms. The City is uniquely positioned as they have staff that are solely responsible for grant administration as well as several City departments that routinely use federal grants, administer contracts, perform project management, maintain a GIS system, and interact and communicate with various neighborhood organizations.

Severalstaff members would be responsible for implementing and reporting on the grant outcomes:

Table 2. City Staff Roles

Chandra Willinger Jeremiah Spencer

Libbye Tellor

Project Manager, Public Works and Utilities Assistant PM, Public Works and Forestry

GIS Coordinator

4. CommunicationsPlan:

Share your plans for communication on the project, including plans for 1) signage acknowledging the source of funding at project locations 2) inclusion of funding information in press and promotional materials.

The Communications plan would involve a kickoff press conference announcing the funding and the parties responsible for the funds. Local newspaper and television outlets would be invited to the event along with local, state and federal officials. This would include acknowledgement and proposed use of the funding by local officials, community activists and designated representative of the USDA, if appropriate. A ceremonial tree planting will conclude the event.

As this is a city-wide program with numerous site, instead of a specific location, the City would develop and erect signage at the city limits acknowledging the "Reforestation of the city urban

Forest" was being paid for in coniunction with federal grant funding provided by the USDA -

Forestry Service-Urban and community Forestry Grant. This would also be included on the city,s website with a formal announcement and links would be created and attached to the

City's web pages providing information about the program and the source and level of funding being provided by the USDA Forest Service.

Name

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Role

5. Evidence of Disadvantaged Community Status for projects requesting Match Waiver (if applicable):

Clearly describe the scope of work to be performed in disadvantaged communities, and identify online vulnerability and environmentaljustice equity data and/or tools referenced to support a disadvantaged community designation, (e.g., White House Councilon EnvironmentalQuality

Climate and Economic Justice Screenine Tool (CEJST), EPA Environmental lustice and Screening

Mapping Tool (EJScreen), EPA EnviroAtlas lnteractive Map, Opportunity Zones, or other vulnerability data/tools applicable to the scope of work). Multiple tools may be used. All work must be tracked at the level that desi8nates disadvantaged communities.

Primarv applicants receiving cost-match waiver aporovalthat pass-through funding (sub-award) for work in disadvantased communities must pass throush the cost match waiver to sub-awardees performinq the work.

The EPA IRA Disadvantaged Communities / EJscreen datasets were reviewed for this project. A screenshot from the mapping tool is shown in Figure 2. A summary of census tracts, population, and disadvantaged status from the Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) is shown in Figure 1 and Table 1 on page 2. This data suggests all census tracts, except

8, are disadvantaged and quality for a match waiver. Accordingly, work is proposed in census tracts 1, 2, 4,5,6,9,70,77, f2,13, and 69.

Figure 2. EPA IRA Disadvanta8ed Communities Map for City of .lackson

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EPA IRA Drsadvanlag€d Conrnunfl€s llo c: ldi

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