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Kingston says USDA grant suspension lifted; city submits reforestation core grant application
Summary
City urban forestry staff told the commission that an earlier suspension of USDA-funded grant activities has been lifted, and Kingston applied for a separate Community Reforestation (CORE) grant to remove invasive species and replant five public sites. Officials said contract timing could still delay spring plantings and sapling giveaways.
Brent Pepper, the city’s urban forester, told the Kingston Tree Commission on March 11 that an earlier suspension of activities under a USDA Forest Service grant has been lifted and work may resume.
The statement followed about a month of uncertainty after the grant administrator informed awardees of a temporary pause in reimbursements, Pepper said, and he advised the commission the pause “is lifted.” He warned, however, that the interruption has created anxiety among grantees and could still affect spring planting schedules if contractors cannot be hired in time.
The suspended grant funds support the city’s urban forestry program, including Pepper’s position. Pepper said he hopes to keep planned spring plantings on track but that the work may move to the fall if services cannot be contracted in time. “I’m gonna try to…
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