Council schedules special meeting to fast-track urban-forestry grant applications

Charlestown’s Tree Board and Parks advocates convinced the city council to schedule a special meeting to finalize a grant application to the Mid‑Atlantic Community Forestry Fund, part of a two‑pronged push that also includes a smaller, rolling state forestry grant.

Tree board members told the council they plan to apply for Phase 1 of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation program — a planning and capacity‑building award that can provide up to $100,000 with no local match. The proposed use includes ArcGIS licensing, hardware, limited equipment purchases, and technical support to create an up‑to‑date tree inventory and canopy map. ‘‘Phase 1…is essentially…planning and strategic design of what is an urban forest,’’ the board’s presenter said, describing software licenses, mapping, and student internships the grant would enable.

Council members voiced concerns about staff capacity and reporting burdens if the city accepted the grants. One member noted past grants the city had to return because it could not spend the funds on time and asked for a clear budget and implementation plan before committing. Tree board presenters said outside contractors, Shepherd University students, and partnering professors would do most of the hands‑on work, but that city staff would need to be trained on any new software.

Because one of the grant deadlines is Feb. 27, the council voted to advertise a special meeting on Feb. 26 at 5 p.m. to review the application and the draft budget; the motion passed by voice vote.

Next steps: staff and tree‑board members will finalize a line‑item budget and supporting materials for the Feb. 26 special meeting. If approved, the Phase 1 award would fund inventory, ArcGIS licenses, limited equipment, and a paid intern to help build capacity for a later planting phase.