LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The city of Louisville has been selected for a $12 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service to improve its tree canopy and combat the Urban Heat Island effect. It is the largest grant ever for Louisville Parks and Recreation.

The funds will be administered over the next five years through Louisville’s Equitable Forest Initiative, allowing the city to develop a public tree inventory and management plan, advance tree planning and maintenance in underserved neighborhoods, promote community outreach and create a “green industry” workforce development program.

The Equitable Forest Initiative works to grow equitable urban canopy and encourage sustainability practices for underserved communities in Louisville.

“We are so thrilled the USDA team chose Louisville for this major investment,” said Mayor Craig Greenberg, D-Louisville. “Louisville is committed to equitably achieving net zero emissions community-wide by 2040. Transformational changes to our urban tree canopy, especially in underserved communities, will go a long way in helping us reach that important goal.”

The funding announcement was lauded by community advocates who are working to improve Louisville’s tree canopy.

“We know the power of greening urban neighborhoods,” said Brooke Pardue, president/CEO of the Parks Alliance of Louisville. “Green environments improve physical and mental health, combat climate change, and reduce crime. This grant will allow Louisville to increase the tree canopy in urban heat islands, thereby improving the health and wellbeing of our community.”

“This funding will allow Louisville Metro Urban Forestry to start leveling the playing field for historically marginalized neighborhoods in Louisville that have lacked the ‘treemendous’ benefits of a robust tree canopy,” said TreesLouisville Executive Director Cindi Sullivan. “Urban Forestry will now be able to utilize the most efficient and effective analytics to address the need for tree canopy inventory and management in these neighborhoods.”

More details on tree planting and job creation numbers will be announced later this fall, the mayor’s office said.