UCF ROUND 17 2026

GUIDELINES AND BID INSTRUCTIONS

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

Urban and Community Forestry Program 2026 Tree Inventory and Assessment Grant

Opportunity

NYS SFS Grants Management Bid Event ID No.: UCF 2026

Apply through the SFS Vendor Portal

Bid (Application) Due Date: 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Timetable of Key Events:

Open Bid (Application) Period Begins 10:00 a.m. Friday, May 15, 2026 Webinar 1:00 pm-3:00 pm Tuesday June 2, 2026 Question & Answer Period Ends 1:00 pm Tuesday August 4, 2026 Bids (Applications) Due 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 12, 2026 Awards Announced By (anticipated) October 2026

To register for the webinar: Register Here https://esupplier.sfs.ny.gov/psc/fscm/SUPPLIER/ERP/c/NUI_FRAMEWORK.PT_LANDINGPAGE.GBL?& https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmeetny-gov.webex.com%2Fweblink%2Fregister%2Fr51eb040ce8ed3fdb5e4ae31567826ebf&data=05%7C02%7CVanessa.Lasher%40dec.ny.gov%7C7b17c6caf99340a330d008de93f05321%7Cf46cb8ea79004d108ceb80e8c1c81ee7%7C0%7C0%7C639110857554017126%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=1TcNJ7TztHrbb8KuJV42sl5wF9Nhbc1kyWrsr9IUBl8%3D&reserved=0

Table of Contents

1. Grant Information

A) Proposed Project Timeframes

B) Funding

C) Minimum and Maximum Award Amounts

D) Match Requirements

E) Bid (Application) Limit

F) Eligible Project Locations

G) Non-Eligible Project Locations

2. Eligible Bidders (Applicants)

3. Inquiries & Designated Contact Information

4. Bid Submission

5. Grant Opportunity General Information and Conditions

A) Grant Program Payment

B) Expenditure Based Budget

C) Match Requirement and Expenditures

D) Work Plan

H) SEQRA and Permits

6. Project Types/ Practices

A) Traditional Street/ Landscaped Park Tree Inventory

B) Street Tree/ Landscaped Park Tree Inventory and Assessment Using Terrestrial LiDAR

C) Natural Area Inventory/ Assessment

D) Community Forest Management Plan

7. Eligibility of Budget Costs

A) Ineligible Costs

B) Eligible Costs

8. Bidder Evaluation, Scoring and Selection

Step 1: Bid and Project Eligibility Determination

Step 2: Project Evaluation, Scoring and Selection

9. Method of Award

A) Debriefing Request

B) Protest Procedure

C) Department of Environmental Conservation Oversight

10. Grant Program Payment

11. Grant Program Reporting

12. What to Expect If You Receive an Award

I. Insurance Requirements

II. Permit Requirements (if applicable)

III. State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) Documentation

d. Vendor Responsibility Questionnaire

f. Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Requirements

g. Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB) Participation Requirements

APPENDIX 1 – Data Points Tables for Inventories and Assessments

APPENDIX 2 – Sample Work Plan, Timeline, & Objective Worksheet cont

APPENDIX 3 – Certification for Sexual Harassment Prevention

APPENDIX 4 – Executive Order 16 Certification

APPENDIX 5 – Gender-Based Violence and the Workplace Certification Form

APPENDIX 6 - NYS DEC Urban Foresters

1. Grant Information The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Division of Lands and Forests is pleased to announce funding for Round 17 of Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) grants. Tree inventories and management plans are the essential building blocks of healthy, thriving urban forests. Under the auspices of the 25 Million Trees Initiative, this grant program will promote a data-driven understanding of urban forest extent and composition to support management planning for community forest expansion and enhancement—maximizing the resiliency and co-benefits of trees and forested natural areas, including clean air and water, stormwater retention, extreme heat mitigation, increased access to urban nature, and improved public health.

The purpose of this grant opportunity is to support strong, self-sustaining urban and community forestry programs which enhance the quality of life for all New Yorkers. Grant projects must develop inventories and assessments for individual right-of-way and landscape trees or for forested natural areas or develop community forest management plans based on inventories or assessments. This round adds a new project type for developing inventories and assessments using ground-based remote sensing technologies.

This Request for Applications (RFA) is intended to help applicants develop a successful and detailed application. Please read this RFA carefully and in its entirety.

A) Proposed Project Timeframes All projects must have defined objectives, tasks, and deliverables accounted for in performance measures that can be completed and invoiced within a four-year contract period/term. Costs outside of the contract period/term are ineligible. The NYS Contract for Grants must be fully approved by DEC, and if applicable approved by the Attorney General and the State Comptroller. Time extensions beyond the contract term end date will be determined by the Department based upon written justification from the Bidder. Bidders should not submit a bid if they do not anticipate their project can be completed within the specified contract term.

B) Funding

• Approximately $10 million total is available for UCF Grant Round 17, with up to $3 million of this amount available for communities with populations smaller than 65,000 people. Funding for this grant opportunity is provided by the New York State Environmental Protection Fund.

• Applicants should request the amount of funding they can show is appropriate and reasonable for their project and supported in their application.

This is a reimbursement grant. The awardee must pay costs upfront before receiving reimbursement by DEC.

https://dec.ny.gov/nature/forests-trees/climate-change/25-million-trees?auHash=sMgsfhpqaxtwjsNNrryl9UG6vkN3kiEiG_33Dhrw6Pg

C) Minimum and Maximum Award Amounts Minimum grant amount is $50,000; Maximum grant amount is $2,500,000.

D) Match Requirements There are no match requirements for this grant opportunity.

E) Bid (Application) Limit Bidders may submit one application with multiple project sites. Bidders may also submit multiple applications for multiple projects but are limited to one inventory/ assessment and one community forest management plan

F) Eligible Project Locations Eligible projects must be implemented in New York State on public properties (municipal public property, i.e., street and park trees or forested natural areas), privately owned land that is open to the public (e.g. cemeteries) or alongside a state-owned roadway in a city, town, village in a location where they provide a public benefit, or federally and state recognized Tribal reservation land. State lands are eligible only for inventories/assessments and/or management plans for forested natural areas. Projects may be implemented further from a public roadway if within 10 feet either side of a paved or maintained multiple use trail. Trees on school properties may be included in municipal applications if the property is owned by the municipality or if there is a written agreement that asserts the municipality manages the trees, in which the applicant must upload the agreement. All applicants must include a detailed map and description of the proposed project location.

G) Non-Eligible Project Locations

Private property, other than described above, is not eligible for this bid opportunity.

2. Eligible Bidders (Applicants) For the purposes of this grant program, the following entities are considered eligible bidders:

Governmental Entities, Municipalities, and Quasi-Governmental Entities, including but not limited to Counties, Cities, Towns, Villages, or Indian Nations or Tribes recognized by the state or the United States with a reservation wholly or partly within the boundaries of New York State, or any combination thereof, Public Benefit Corporations, Public Authorities, Municipal Corporations, Soil and Water Conservation Districts, School Districts, and Community Colleges, and 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporations whose projects are located within the eligible geographic boundaries defined in this Request For Applications (RFA). New York State agencies are ONLY eligible to apply for inventories/assessments and management plans of forested natural areas.

Bidders must possess the knowledge, skills, and/or track record to successfully implement the project.

Individuals and unincorporated groups may not apply, but an eligible nonprofit organization, known as a fiscal sponsor, may apply on behalf of an individual or unincorporated group. The fiscal sponsor accepts responsibility to serve as a fiscal conduit for a DEC-funded project, receiving and disbursing funds related to the grant, and administering the requirements throughout the DEC grant process, including final reporting of grant activity. The unincorporated artist or group completes the project activity.

If a proposed project involves a cooperative agreement or partners, only one eligible, designated lead bidder can submit the bid for grant funding. The lead bidder must assume the responsibility for the project bid, performance of work consistent with this RFA, and the State of New York Contract for Grants. Letters substantiating the collaboration from each partner are required. These letters are to be uploaded to the SFS Grants Management system in a single PDF under the appropriate question for the bid.

Not-for Profit Applicants:

A not-for-profit corporation (NFP) community-based organization is eligible to bid. NFPs planning to inventory public trees must have a signed letter of agreement with the municipality the trees are located in. A community-based organization may partner with a NFP that will serve as their fiscal sponsor in order to be eligible to bid on this opportunity.

For the purposes of this grant opportunity, a community-based organization is an organization that:

• Serves the residents of an area equal to or smaller than a town or city outside of New York City, or an area equal to or smaller than one of the five boroughs within New York City; and

• Cannot have its charter revoked or otherwise be dissolved through the action of another organization; and

• Is able to enter into legal agreements independent of any affiliated nonprofit organization, government body, university or other entity that would be ineligible to apply for this grant; and

• Has more than 50 percent of its members residing in the affected community, or more than 50 percent of the people served by the bidder community group residing in the affected community.

For this grant opportunity, a NFP is subject to New York State’s Not-For-Profit Corporation Law, is qualified for tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Federal Internal Revenue Code, has an IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter to be incorporated in New York State and is current in their charities reporting requirements with the Office of the Attorney General.

3. Inquiries & Designated Contact Information

Grants Management Website

Search for Grant Opportunities instructions

Vendors need to be logged in in order to submit a bid.

For general information on submitting a bid and for clarification of bidding requirements, contractual terms and procedures, contact:

DEC Regional Urban Foresters (Appendix 6) are available for consultation on projects throughout the entire open grant period. All bidders should discuss their project with their regional urban forester early in the planning process.

DEC Urban Forestry team at urbanforestry@dec.ny.gov and include “2026 Inventory and Assessment” in the subject line of the email for questions regarding this grant opportunity. Questions will be accepted by DEC until 1:00 PM, Tuesday August 4, 2026.

All questions, and answers, will be uploaded in the Grants Management System Bid Event for all bidders to view.

For State Agencies: State agencies must request an application from the DEC Urban Forestry team at urbanforestry@dec.ny.gov and include “2026 Inventory and Assessment” in the subject line.

For technical information regarding the Grants Management Bid Event and the Grants Management portal, direct questions to:

NYS SFS Grants Management Contact Information: helpdesk@sfs.ny.gov | 877-737-4185 toll-free | 518-457-7737

Include “2026 Inventory and Assessment” in the subject line of the email.

https://grantsmanagement.ny.gov/ https://grantsmanagement.ny.gov/search-funding-sfs mailto:urbanforestry@dec.ny.gov mailto:urbanforestry@dec.ny.gov mailto:helpdesk@sfs.ny.gov

4. Bid Submission Bids must be submitted through the NYS SFS Grants Management System. Using Google Chrome to access the SFS Grants Management System (GM) is recommended. Using other browsers may cause errors.

If you do not have access to the SFS Vendor Portal and if your organization is already established within the SFS Vendor portal, an SFS Delegated Administrator has been authorized within your organization to provision user login credentials, unlock accounts, or reset passwords. Please reach out to your SFS Delegated Administrator directly. If you don’t know who your Delegated Administrator is, please call SFS Help Desk at 518-457-7717, 855-233- 8363.

If you do not have a login and you are new to the SFS Vendor portal and would like to establish an account for the purposes of doing business with the State of New York, contact the SFS Help Desk at 518-457-7717, 855-233-8363 or HelpDesk@sfs.ny.gov for more information.

Paper bids will NOT be accepted except from State Agencies. Bidders are strongly encouraged to submit their bids prior to the bid deadline. Late bids will not be accepted. Please note staff with a Bid Response Initiator role can begin a bid, but only staff with the Bid Response Submitter role can submit the bid response.

All Bidders must be Registered with SFS Grants Management to apply. Please visit the NYS SFS Grants Management System to register.

In addition to registration, not-for-profits must also be Prequalified at the time and date that the application is due. If you are not Prequalified at that time and date, your application will not be considered.

PLEASE DO NOT DELAY IN BEGINNING AND COMPLETING THE PREQUALIFICATION

PROCESS. PLEASE VISIT THE GRANTS MANAGEMENT Prequalification Page TO GET

STARTED.

THE STATE RESERVES 5 DAYS TO REVIEW SUBMITTED PREQUALIFICATION

APPLICATIONS. PREQUALIFICATION APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED TO THE STATE FOR

REVIEW LESS THAN 5 DAYS PRIOR TO 2026 Tree Inventory and Assessment Grant Opportunity APPLICATION DUE DATE MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED.

BIDDERS SHOULD NOT ASSUME THAT THEIR PREQUALIFICATION INFORMATION WILL

BE REVIEWED IF THEY DO NOT ADHERE TO THIS TIMEFRAME.

a) Bidder Prequalification

Pursuant to the New York State Division of Budget Bulletin H-1032 Revised, effective July 16, 2014, New York State has instituted key reform initiatives to the grant contract.

Information on these initiatives can be found on the Grants Management Website.

https://esupplier.sfs.ny.gov/psc/fscm/SUPPLIER/ERP/c/NUI_FRAMEWORK.PT_LANDINGPAGE.GBL?&lp=ERP.SUPPLIER.NY_SUP_PUB_HOMEPG_FL mailto:HelpDesk@sfs.ny.gov https://esupplier.sfs.ny.gov/psc/fscm/SUPPLIER/ERP/c/NUI_FRAMEWORK.PT_LANDINGPAGE.GBL?&lp=ERP.SUPPLIER.NY_SUP_PUB_HOMEPG_FL https://grantsmanagement.ny.gov/get-prequalified

All Bidders must be Prequalified in the SFS Grants Management System at the time and date that the bid is due. Bids from non-prequalified entities will be rejected. The system will not allow you to submit your bid.

The SFS Handbook: SFS Training for Vendors guide is available on SFS Coach and includes guidance for prequalification. Additional training is available on SFS Coach SFS Grants Management System.

5. Grant Opportunity General Information and Conditions

A) Grant Program Payment Advance payments of up to 25% of the awarded grant amount may be available to not-for-profit bidders once a Contract for Grants has been fully approved by all applicable State agencies.

Only not-for-profits are eligible to receive advance payments under State Finance Law.

Project costs eligible for reimbursement and project match must be incurred between the contract term start and end dates. Costs incurred prior to the contract term start date or after the contract term end date will not be considered eligible for grant reimbursement or match. Copies of supporting cost documentation (paid invoices, receipts, cancelled checks, etc.) must be audited and approved by the DEC for costs to be eligible for grant reimbursement.

B) Expenditure Based Budget Bidders must complete an itemized budget in the SFS Grants Management that provides details of the proposed project-related expenses. Budget detail must clearly distinguish between expenses to be claimed under the State grant share and expenses comprising the match. The itemized budget should also include appropriate level of information for the breakdown of costs for each budget item (depending on the budget category this information is provided in the budget detail and/or budget narrative) Eligible and ineligible costs are identified in this RFA. A project’s reasonableness of costs is at least 20% of the evaluation factor in the scoring of the bid therefore, attention to budget accuracy will increase your project score.

Project cost-effectiveness will account for at least 20% of a bid score as identified in the evaluation criteria section of this RFA. (you may require bidders to answer a program question and/or upload documentation that may support their claims of cost effectiveness, e.g., vendor quotes in the GM that will support cost effectiveness criteria).

https://esupplier.sfs.ny.gov/psc/fscm/SUPPLIER/ERP/c/NUI_FRAMEWORK.PT_LANDINGPAGE.GBL?&lp=ERP.SUPPLIER.NY_SUP_PUB_HOMEPG_FL

C) Match Requirement and Expenditures Match is the portion of project expenditures not paid for with grant funds. Match funds are not required for this grant.

D) Work Plan Bidders must complete a work plan in the SFS GM that provides a clear overview of the project.

Bids must include proposed project objectives, tasks associated with meeting each objective, and the performance measures associated with each task (performance measures can include desired project outcomes or deliverables). The work plan may include anticipated time frames in meeting project objectives, tasks and deliverables. Time frames must be consistent with the timeline bidders are required to upload in the GM.

E) Sexual Harassment Prevention Certification State Finance Law §139-l requires all bidders of grant funding to certify that they have a written policy addressing sexual harassment prevention in the workplace and provide annual sexual harassment training (that meets the Department of Labor’s model policy and training standards) to all its employees.

Where applying for grant funding is required pursuant to statute, rule or regulation, every bid submitted to the state or any public department or agency of the state must contain the following statement: “By submission of this bid, each bidder and each person signing on behalf of the bidder certifies, and in the case of a partnering bid each party thereto certifies as to its own organization, under penalty of perjury, that the bidder has and has implemented a written policy addressing sexual harassment prevention in the workplace and provides annual sexual harassment prevention training to all of its employees. Such policy shall, at a minimum, meet the requirements of section two hundred one g of the labor law.”

Bids that do not contain the certification will not be considered for award; provided however, that if the bidder cannot make the certification, the bidder may provide a signed statement with their bid detailing the reasons why the certification cannot be made. After review and consideration of such statement, the Department may reject the bid or may decide there are sufficient reasons to accept the bid without such certification.

Bidders are required to sign and upload the Sexual Harassment Prevention Certification form or upload a signed statement with their bid detailing the reasons why the certification cannot be provided. The certification form or statement must be signed by an authorized staff of the contractor and dated after the application start date.

F) Executive Order 16 Executive Order No. 16 provides that “all Affected State Entities are directed to refrain from entering into any new contract or renewing any existing contract with an entity conducting business operations in Russia.” The complete text of Executive Order No. 16 can be found at https://www.governor.ny.gov/executive-order/no-16-prohibiting-state-agencies-and-authorities-contracting-businesses-conducting. The Executive Order remains in effect while sanctions against Russia imposed by the federal government are in effect. Accordingly, vendors who may https://www.governor.ny.gov/executive-order/no-16-prohibiting-state-agencies-and-authorities-contracting-businesses-conducting https://www.governor.ny.gov/executive-order/no-16-prohibiting-state-agencies-and-authorities-contracting-businesses-conducting be excluded from award because of current business operations in Russia are nevertheless encouraged to respond to solicitations to preserve their contracting opportunities in case the sanctions are lifted during a solicitation or even after award in the case of some solicitations. As defined in Executive Order No. 16, an “entity conducting business operations in Russia” means an institution or company, wherever located, conducting any commercial activity in Russia or transacting business with the Russian Government or with commercial entities headquartered in Russia or with their principal place of business in Russia in the form of contracting, sales, purchasing, investment, or any business partnership. Vendors responding to this solicitation are required to complete and submit the form entitled “Certification Under Executive Order No. 16 Prohibiting State Agencies and Authorities from Contracting with Businesses Conducting Business in Russia”.

ALL bidders must download, complete, and save the Executive Order No. 16 Certification form, prior to uploading the completed form back into the GM. The certification form must be signed by an authorized staff of the contractor and dated after the application start date.

G) Attachment G: Gender-Based Violence and the Workplace Certification State Finance Law §139-m requires bidders on state procurements to certify that they have a written policy addressing gender-based violence and the workplace and have provided such policy to all of its employees, directors and board members. Such policy shall, at a minimum, meet the requirements of subdivision 11 of section five hundred seventy-five of the executive law.

Where competitive bidding is required pursuant to statute, rule or regulation, for work or services performed or to be performed or goods sold or to be sold, every bid made to the State or any public department or agency of the state must contain the following statement:

“By submission of this bid, each bidder and each person signing on behalf of any bidder certifies, and in the case of a joint bid each party thereto certifies as to its own organization, under penalty of perjury, that the bidder has and has implemented a written policy addressing gender-based violence and the workplace and has provided such policy to all of its employees, directors and board members. Such policy shall, at a minimum, meet the requirements of subdivision 11 of section five hundred seventy-five of the executive law.”

Bids that do not contain the certification will not be considered for award; provided however, that if the bidder cannot make the certification, the bidder shall provide a signed statement with their bid detailing the reasons why the certification cannot be made. After review and consideration of such statement, the Department may reject the bid or may decide that there are sufficient reasons to accept the bid without such certification.

Bidders are required to sign and submit the Gender-Based Violence and the Workplace Certification form, (Attachment G) If the bidder cannot make the certification, then a signed statement must be submitted with the bid detailing the reasons why the certification cannot be made. The certification form must be signed by an authorized staff of the contractor and dated after the application start date.

H) SEQRA and Permits The bidder is responsible for assuring that any SEQR determinations, permits, approvals, lands, easements, and rights-of way that may be required to carry out the activities of the project are obtained.

6. Project Types/ Practices

Bids must be for one of the following practice types:

A) Traditional Street/ Landscaped Park Tree Inventory/Assessment;

B) Street Trees/ Landscaped Park tree inventory/assessment using ground based remote sensing (terrestrial LiDAR) C) Forested Natural Areas Inventory/Assessment;

D) Community Forest Management Plan; or E) a combined bid of a Community Forest Management Plan (D) and one of the inventory/assessment methods (A, B, or C).

Bidders are allowed to apply for one inventory/assessment project and one management plan per application. Bidders are limited to one application.

Each practice has different requirements as reflected in standards and specifications.

Bidders should carefully review the practice information below, and the pass/fail eligibility criteria contained in the Guidelines to avoid disqualification.

A) Traditional Street/ Landscaped Park Tree Inventory and Assessment

The goal of an urban forest inventory project is to assess the location, composition, and condition of a specific population of urban trees at a point in time. In the case of street and landscaped park trees, an inventory will enumerate the size, species, condition, location, and maintenance needs of individual trees. An individual tree inventory may also include a tree risk assessment, a standard arboricultural Best Management Practice. Applicants may choose to include a Level II risk tree assessment as part of their tree inventory project. For more information on tree risk assessment, see the Tree Risk Assessment Methods: A Comparison of Three Common Evaluation Forms, “Managing Hazards and Risks” by Trees Are Good, or Best Management Practices- Tree Risk Assessment, Third Edition (International Society of Arboriculture, 2025).

https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/ohiodnr.gov/documents/forestry/uftoolbox/TreeRiskAssessment-MethodsComparison.pdf https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/ohiodnr.gov/documents/forestry/uftoolbox/TreeRiskAssessment-MethodsComparison.pdf https://www.treesaregood.org/treeowner/treehazards

Bidders/communities are eligible to apply for a Street/ Landscaped Park Tree Inventory if a project of this practice type has not been completed for the same location in the last 5 years.

Practice Cost and Reimbursement Materials and tasks that are approved for reimbursement for this practice include:

• Planning and design of inventory structure and methods by a forester, arborist, natural resources professional, or specialist in street tree inventory

• Cost of inventory if conducted by an approved contractor

• Labor hours of inventory if conducted by approved organization(s)/individual practitioner(s)

• Cost of proprietary software subscription to manage inventory data for the length of the NYS Contract with DEC (cannot exceed 4 years).

• Purchase of tools (under $5,000 per unit) used for conducting the inventory

Inventory practice cost estimates should use local rates.

GENERAL STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS

Awardees are required to

• Hire/use an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) certified arborist (or ISA arborist-supervised company) to conduct the inventory. An exception may be granted by the DEC UCF Program if requested prior to application submission and organization/individual to conduct the inventory has proven experience in conducting professional tree inventories. Check local listings or the ISA website for certified arborist companies in your area for quotes.

• Collect and record data in an electronic system or software application that will allow for an i-Tree ECO benefits analysis (pollution removal, carbon storage, hydrology effects, ultraviolet (UV) effects, etc.).

• While aerial assessment may be used as part of the project, all inventory data collected must be confirmed through on-the-ground visual inspection.

• Data quality assurance, including double-sampling efforts. The inventory should be designed to use defined field protocols, controlled vocabularies and picklists, and locked measurement units. At point of entry, data quality should include required fields, range (for numbers) and logic checks, and other location and consistency and completeness checks. Post data collection review and field re-visits should include spot checks on a subset of records, review of outliers (largest DBH, worst condition ratings, unusual locations) and other appropriate quality assurance checks.

• Submit an electronic copy of the final inventory dataset to DEC Grants Administrator (Grants Forester). Datasets must be in a format compatible with Microsoft Office Excel (e.g., .xlsx, .csv, or .txt file formats) and as geospatial data (file geodatabase preferred; geopackage, geoJSON, shapefile, and geopackage may also be accepted). The preferred data structure (e.g., field names, field length) will be provided by NYS DEC at the time an award is made.

• Submittal of the inventory dataset shall be listed as one of the Tasks and related Performance Measures in the application Work Plan.

• The DEC urban forester will inspect and approve the inventory prior to final reimbursement. The inspection will consist of a 3-10% random sample of the data across the inventory, and the minimum accuracy rate shall be 95% of sites sampled. Discuss expectations for this inspection with your local DEC urban forester.

• Explain how the inventory will be updated and maintained, including software, in the Long-term Planning question (Project Evaluation, Scoring and Selection Question #3).

• Bidders who plan to develop a Community Forest Management Plan (CFMP) as a part of this project with the data collected from this inventorying/assessment cannot begin writing the CFMP until the DEC regional urban forester inspects inventory/assessment for accuracy and approval is granted by DEC grants administrator.

Please see Appendix 1 for the Data Points Tables of required and recommended data points

In addition to the tree inventory itself, another deliverable will be an i-Tree Eco benefits analysis report (see the i-Tree website for further details, i-Tree Eco.).If the i-Tree application becomes no longer available, then this deliverable will not be required.

B) Street Tree/ Landscaped Park Tree Inventory and Assessment Using Terrestrial LiDAR Remote sensing technology such as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), which is typically used for aerial canopy assessments, can also be used for individual tree assessments through combining high-resolution imagery with machine learning.

Benefits include high resolution imaging of individual trees (digital twin of the tree), comprehensive mapping, real-time and efficient data collection, and cost effectiveness (minimizing human error). Managers are provided with efficient and high precision information enabling them to analyze changes in individual trees and tree populations https://www.itreetools.org/tools/i-tree-eco over time which helps make informed data-driven decisions regarding forest management, conservation efforts, and ecological research.

The goal of this project is to employ terrestrial LiDAR combined with high resolution imagery to assess and inventory individual trees.

The bidder shall describe in detail which terrestrial LiDAR methods will be employed to locate, assess, and monitor trees located on the public rights-of-way and other public properties as designated.

Practice Cost and Reimbursement

Materials and tasks that are approved for reimbursement for this practice include:

• Planning by a forester, arborist, natural resources professional, or specialist in terrestrial LiDAR inventory/assessment

• Cost of inventory/assessment by contractor

• Cost of proprietary software subscription to manage inventory for length of awardee’s contract with DEC (cannot exceed 4 years).

• Purchase of tools (under $5,000 per unit) used for the inventory/ assessment

Inventory practice cost estimates should use local rates.

Awardees are required to

• Utilize a company with proven experience in conducting terrestrial LiDAR inventories and assessments.

• Hire/use an ISA certified arborist (or ISA arborist-supervised company) to conduct the inventory. An exception may be granted by the DEC UCF Program if requested prior to application submission and organization/individual to conduct the inventory has proven experience in conducting professional tree inventories.

Check local listings or the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) website for certified arborist companies in your area for quotes.

• Collect and record data in an electronic system or software application that will allow for an i-Tree ECO benefits analysis (pollution removal, carbon storage, hydrology effects, ultraviolet (UV) effects, etc.).

• While aerial assessment may be used as part of the project, all inventory data collected must be confirmed through on-the-ground visual inspection.

• Data quality assurance, including double-sampling efforts. The inventory should be designed to use defined field protocols, controlled vocabularies and picklists, and locked measurement units. At point of entry, data quality should include required fields, range (for numbers) and logic checks, and other location and consistency and completeness checks. Post data collection review and field re-visits should include spot checks on a subset of records, review of outliers (largest DBH, worst condition ratings, unusual locations) and other appropriate quality assurance checks.

• Submit an electronic copy of the final inventory dataset to DEC Grants Administrator (Grants Forester). Datasets must be in a format compatible with Microsoft Office Excel (e.g., .xlsx, .csv, or .txt file formats) and as geospatial data (file geodatabase preferred; geopackage, geoJSON, shapefile, and geopackage may also be accepted). The preferred data structure (e.g., field names, field length) will be provided by NYS DEC at the time an award is made. Submittal of the inventory dataset shall be listed as one of the Tasks and related Performance Measures in the application Work Plan.

• The DEC urban forester will inspect and approve the inventory prior to final reimbursement. The inspection will consist of a 3-10% random sample of the data across the inventory, and the minimum accuracy rate shall be 95% of sites sampled. Discuss expectations for this inspection with your local DEC urban forester.

• Explain how the inventory will be updated and maintained, including software, in the Long-term Planning question (Project Evaluation, Scoring and Selection Question #3).

• Bidders who plan to develop a Community Forest Management Plan (CFMP) as a part of this project with the data collected from this inventorying/assessment cannot begin writing the CFMP until the DEC regional urban forester inspects

In addition to the tree inventory itself, another deliverable will be an i-Tree Eco benefits analysis report (see the i-Tree website for further details, i-Tree Eco.).If the i-Tree application becomes no longer available, then this deliverable will not be required.

https://www.itreetools.org/tools/i-tree-eco

C) Natural Area Inventory/ Assessment

The goal of a forested natural area inventory/ assessment project is to assess the composition and condition of forest stands to inform urban forest planning, conservation, and management. Inventories and assessments will help identify appropriate sites for protection, restoration, and/or afforestation/ reforestation efforts. A forested natural area inventory employs a statistical sampling methodology to delineate and assess forest stands. Resources for natural areas inventories include NRCS Forestry Inventory Methods, Technical Note No. 190-FOR-01, July 2018 or the Natural Areas Conservancy Rapid Site Assessment Manual.

Bidders/communities are eligible to apply for a Natural Area Inventory/ Assessment if a project of this practice type has not been completed for the same location in the last 5 years.

Practice Cost and Reimbursement Materials and tasks that are approved for reimbursement for this practice include:

• Planning by a forester, arborist, natural resources professional, or specialist in natural area inventory/ assessment

• Cost of inventory/assessment if conducted by an approved contractor

• Labor hours of inventory if conducted by approved organization(s)/individual practitioner(s)

• Cost of proprietary software subscription to manage inventory data for the length of the NYS Contract with DEC (cannot exceed 4 years).

• Purchase of tools (under $5,000 per unit) used for conducting the inventory

Awardees are required to

• Hire/use a forester, arborist, natural resources professional, or specialist to conduct the inventory/ assessment. The professional shall have proven experience in conducting professional natural area/ forest inventories and assessments. While aerial assessment may be used as part of the project, all inventory data collected must be confirmed through on-the-ground visual inspection.

• Data quality assurance, including double-sampling efforts. The inventory should be designed to use defined field protocols, controlled vocabularies and picklists, and locked measurement units. At point of entry, data quality should include required fields, range (for numbers) and logic checks, and other location and consistency and completeness checks. Post data collection review and field re-https://directives.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files2/1719592953/Forestry%20190-1%2C%20Forestry%20Inventory%20Methods.pdf https://directives.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files2/1719592953/Forestry%20190-1%2C%20Forestry%20Inventory%20Methods.pdf https://fic.naturalareasnyc.org/docs/rapid-site-assessment-nyc visits should include spot checks on a subset of records, review of outliers and other appropriate quality assurance checks.

• Submit an electronic copy of the final inventory dataset to DEC Grants Administrator (Grants Forester). Datasets must be in a format compatible with Microsoft Office Excel (e.g., .xlsx, .csv, or .txt file formats) and as geospatial data (file geodatabase preferred; geopackage, geoJSON, shapefile, and geopackage may also be accepted). The preferred data structure (e.g., field names, field length) will be provided by NYS DEC at the time an award is made. Submittal of the inventory dataset shall be listed as one of the Tasks and related Performance Measures in the application Work Plan.

• The natural area inventory will achieve an accuracy of ±10% of the basal area per acre at a 90% statistical confidence level. The local DEC urban forester will inspect and approve the inventory prior to final approval. Discuss expectations with your local DEC urban forester.

• Bidders who plan to develop a Community Forest Management Plan (CFMP) as a part of this project with the data collected from this inventorying/assessment cannot begin writing the CFMP until the DEC regional urban forester inspects

D) Community Forest Management Plan A Tree Inventory or Assessment is a prerequisite or corequisite for a Community Forest Management Plan (CFMP) project. Submit to DEC grants administrator who will coordinate inspection with DEC regional urban forester. **Do not begin Community Forest Management Plan (CFMP) until regional urban forester inspects for accuracy and approval is granted by DEC grants administrator**

The CFMP uses tree or forested natural area inventory/assessment data to plan for and prioritize maintenance and stewardship of the urban forest. While an inventory establishes a baseline record and understanding of urban forest conditions at a specific point in time, the management plan analyzes these conditions, establishes budgetary and maintenance needs, and forms the basis for the vision of the future urban forest.

Bidders/communities are eligible to apply for a CFMP if a management plan has not been completed for the same location in the last 5 years. CFMPs should use inventories as recently completed as possible, with data at a minimum no older than 5 years.

Bids should include an explanation of how this plan will be incorporated into all aspects of future planning in the community, such as infrastructure, development, revitalization, recreation, transportation and storm preparedness.

The CFMP should be itemized separately from the inventory/assessment in the budget, and as one of the tasks and performance measures in the application work plan. Upon completion of the project, an electronic copy of the completed management plan must be submitted to the DEC grant administrator via email.

Practice Cost and Reimbursement

Materials and tasks that are approved for reimbursement for this practice include:

• Cost of the CFMP by a forester, arborist, or natural resources professional

GENERAL STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS

Completed Management Plans must include the following information and be customized to each community.

Street/ Maintained Park Trees CFMP:

• A vision, goals, and objectives for the long-term community forest, and a strategy for how to care for the community trees, including geographic scope and ownership and alignment with other municipal plans

• Governance and roles of the lead agency and decision authority, as well as interagency coordination and cooperation.

• Legal and policy framework for public trees including tree protection standards, relevant municipal codes and permitting requirements, and enforcement mechanisms.

• Summary of existing tree inventory data including tree age, species dominance, health by species, invasive species and/or other forest health threats, tree location by community demographics and or other socioeconomic data to measure tree equity.

• Information for increasing tree canopy including recommended species for planting, tree diversity targets, annual planting targets and equity-based tree siting criteria, and nursery stock standards and planting specifications.

• Prohibited planting species.

• Tree establishment and maintenance criteria including tree planting contractor performance standards, pruning rotations, tree and stump removal needs, emergency response and storm protocols, and prioritization of workload.

• The development of budgets and work plans, including timelines and tasks, to meet the vision. This should include an operational plan based on the community’s current budget which includes budget strategies to help build capacity and move awardee toward being able to complete the work in the

CFMP.

• An i-Tree ECO benefits analysis (if available) of environmental issues such as:

pollution removal, carbon storage, hydrology effects, ultraviolet effects, etc.

• Basic in-house training/meeting of responsible staff by the contracted consultant that will provide guidance to all those involved with ongoing maintenance of the Tree Inventory, and implementation of the Management Plan. Follow up by consultant in the second or third year is also available to ensure positive long-term support.

• Strategies for community outreach and stewardship, including stewardship expectations and support programs, volunteer roles, and public education and engagement opportunities.

Optional Additional Plans

Must be individualized to the geographic project area and for the awardee:

• Storm preparedness and response planning.

• Waste wood utilization plan to reduce disposal costs.

Note: Consultants offer additional plans and services that are not covered by the DEC UCF grant program but may be purchased directly by the community.

Natural Areas CFMP:

• A vision, goals and objectives for the long-term community forest and a strategy for how to care for the community trees, including geographic scope and ownership and alignment with other municipal plans

• Governance and roles of the lead agency and decision authority, as well as interagency coordination and cooperation.

• Legal and policy framework for natural areas including tree protection standards, relevant municipal codes and permitting requirements, and enforcement mechanisms.

• Maps including:

o General location map of the planning area showing crossroads to the location.

o Stand map (this may consist of several maps to account for the entire planning area). This map will specifically include:

Boundary lines for the Stands with labels (name, number, or both).

Acreage for each Stand.

Location of sensitive resources and setbacks, if applicable.

Locations of planned and applied stewardship practices.

o Soil interpretative map(s) and other natural resource maps used to support the planning activity.

• All maps developed will include:

o Map title o Participant’s name o Assisted By [Natural Resource Professional’s name(s)] o Date prepared o Map scale o Information needed to locate the planning area, such as geographic coordinates, public land survey coordinates, etc.

o North arrow.

o Appropriate map symbols and a map symbol legend on the map or as an attachment.

• Summary of existing forest inventory/ assessment which details the information collected, maps, and analysis of existing conditions (flora, fauna, water, soil).

• Identify management strategies/ practice i.e. competing vegetation control, forest restoration, afforestation and reforestation, deer browse, and prioritization of workload.

• Management strategies/ practice schedule. This can include a table, titled “Practice Schedule” indicating all of the following:

o Stand Number to have practice(s) installed o Practice Name to be implemented o Estimated Amount of each practice to be implemented, and the practice’s measurement units o Dates (month and year) the activities are intended to be installed or were previously installed.

• Outline protocols for monitoring and evaluation of the implemented management strategies. This should track effectiveness and when corrective actions should be taken.

• Information for increasing tree canopy including recommended species for planting, tree diversity targets, annual planting targets and equity-based tree siting criteria, and nursery stock standards and planting specifications.

• Prohibited planting species.

• Development strategies for stakeholder engagement.

• The development of budgets and work plans, including timelines and tasks, to meet the vision. This should include an operational plan based on the community’s current budget which includes budget strategies to help build capacity and move awardee toward being able to complete the work in the

CFMP.

7. Eligibility of Budget Costs A) Ineligible Costs The following costs are not eligible for reimbursement or for match for any of the UCF grant opportunities.

• Indirect/Overhead: Costs including accounting fees, insurance, interest, legal fees, rent, repairs, telephone bills, space/property, and utilities; contingencies.

• Salary not devoted to the project: sick, vacation, personal time, etc.

• Travel: Staff and/or contractor travel between the home location and the project site.

• Application preparation: Costs associated with preparing the grant application.

• Outside contract term: Costs incurred prior to an award or prior to a contract start date or after the contract end date. A contract term (start and end date) will be determined by DEC at the time of an official award.

• Other state or federal funding: Costs paid from other state or federal funding sources are not eligible for reimbursement.

• Equipment: drones

B) Eligible Costs Project costs eligible for reimbursement and project match must be incurred between the contract term start and end dates. Costs incurred prior to the contract term start date or after the contract term end date will not be considered eligible for grant reimbursement or match. Copies of supporting cost documentation (paid invoices, receipts, cancelled checks, etc.) must be audited and approved by the DEC for costs to be eligible for grant reimbursement.

• Personal Services – Salary: Staff and paid labor costs (excludes overhead) devoted to the project must be itemized according to job title or job assignment.

This also includes grant administration costs associated with preparing the final workplan (DEC contract), quarterly reporting, and reimbursement request documentation once the grant is awarded. Grant recipients will be required to document the time worked, tasks, pay ratio and payment.

Personal Services – Salary is not eligible for reimbursement for CFMPs.

• Personal Services – Fringe: Fringe benefits may include social security, workers’ compensation, health and disability insurance, unemployment, or any insurance programs provided by the grantee organization to staff and paid labor for work devoted to the project. Fringe benefits should be budgeted in line with your organization’s standard fringe benefit policy and/or negotiated bargaining agreements. Applicants should briefly explain the percentage and composition of the fringe benefit structure and whether the budgeted fringe benefits represent an exception to standard policy. Personal Services – Fringe is not eligible for reimbursement for CFMPs.

• Contractual: Costs for services rendered to the project under a written agreement with the grantee.

• Travel: Costs for staff travel from normal work location to project site.

• Equipment: Includes purchase and/or rental costs and delivery of equipment directly required to implement the project. At least one quote should be uploaded to the application for any equipment more than $1,000.

• Tree Inventory Software

a. Bidders must keep tree inventories updated in a way that fits the capabilities of field staff and makes financial sense long-term.

b. Leased tree inventory software may be considered for the length of the

NYS Contract…