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Berne tree board hears DNR grant pitch, agrees to pursue Small Town Big Trees funding
Summary
The Berne Tree Board heard a presentation from Persephone Asher of the Indiana DNR about the Small Town Big Trees grant — reimbursement awards of $500–$5,000 with a 1:1 match — and voted to move forward with an application and local tree-planting plans.
The Berne Tree Board voted to pursue a Small Town Big Trees grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources after a presentation on the program by Persephone Asher, the DNR’s Northern Indiana urban forestry specialist.
Persephone Asher told the board the Small Town Big Trees grant provides reimbursement awards generally between $500 and $5,000 with a required 1:1 match, which may be in cash or in-kind contributions. "It's a 1 for 1 match, between $500 and $5,000," Asher said, and she described eligible projects as tree inventories, management plans, or plantings but not removals.
Why it matters: the board’s budget balance and recent tree losses from stormwater work make external funding attractive for replanting and inventory work. Asher said applicants must be towns of 10,000 residents or fewer and that inventories and specialized management plans require sign-off by an ISA-certified arborist.
Board members asked about timing, eligible costs and sources. Asher said the overall DNR program pool is roughly $471,000 and that the small-town awards fall inside the $500–$5,000 band; she confirmed the grant is reimbursement-based and recommended planning for the first one to three years of tree care. "We have the money. We wanna give it to you guys," Asher said, offering to serve as the point of contact for northern Indiana communities.
The board recorded a voice vote in favor of moving forward with the application and agreed to share a species list and application guidance with staff. The chair said he will forward candidate species and work with city staff (Kelly) to complete the online application within the DNR window.
