Neighborhood Tree Act of 2026

Summary of HR 8474 — Neighborhood Tree Act of 2026

Effective for readers seeking a clear understanding of the bill’s purpose, provisions, and potential impact.

Purpose and Intent

• Title: Neighborhood Tree Act of 2026.
• Main goal: Amend the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 to expand federal support for planting and maintaining urban trees, with a focus on improving health, climate resilience, and equitable access to urban forestry benefits.
• Rationale (from findings): Healthy urban forests provide health, air quality, heat mitigation, energy savings, and stormwater benefits; the act aims to accelerate investments in priority communities to reduce inequities in canopy cover and related health and climate risks.

Key Provisions

1) Establishment of the Neighborhood Tree Fund

• Creates the Neighborhood Tree Fund (the Fund) under the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act.
• Purpose: Provide financial assistance to eligible entities to increase and improve urban tree canopy health.

2) Eligibility and Recipients

• Eligible recipients for Fund assistance:
  • States
  • Indian Tribes
  • Local units of government
  • Approved organizations
  • Local community tree volunteer groups (as described in related subsection)
• Assistance must be used to enhance tree canopy health within communities.

3) Requirements for Fund Use

• The Secretary, in consultation with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), will set requirements for recipients, covering:
  • Community and stakeholder engagement
  • Conduct of a tree canopy assessment
  • Incorporation of climate change science into project design
  • Site preparation and tree species selection
  • Monitoring and maintenance to ensure successful canopy establishment

4) Priority Criteria for Funding

• Priority will be given to projects that:
  • Plant and maintain trees in high-need areas, including:
  • Census tracts with at least 20% poverty (as per 5-year ACS data 2014–2018), including areas affected by redlining
  • Communities with lower canopy and higher daytime summer temperatures
  • Optimize climate mitigation and resilience for public health
  • Advance community-led urban agroforestry or tree-based local food production to improve green infrastructure and health outcomes

5) Limitations on Use for Community Assessments

• No more than 10% of annual Fund amounts may be used for community tree assessments.

6) Authorized Appropriations (Funding Schedule)

• The Fund would be funded with annual appropriations:
  • FY2025: at least $100,000,000
  • FY2026: at least $200,000,000
  • FY2027: at least $400,000,000
  • FY2028: at least $600,000,000
  • FY2029: at least $700,000,000

7) National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council – Composition Changes

• Amends the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council composition:
  • Expands to 16 members (from 15)
  • Removes a comma-based listing to standardize clauses
  • Adds 3 additional members who are non-governmental experts with urban forestry experience
  • Among these 3 new members:
  • 1 must be a resident of a community with population under 50,000
  • 1 must be a resident of a low-income community (as defined by the Secretary)

Who Is Affected

• States, Indian Tribes, local governments, qualified organizations, and local tree volunteer groups that implement urban forestry initiatives.
• Communities facing higher poverty rates or lower tree canopy, particularly those affected by redlining or elevated urban heat, are prioritized.
• Urban residents in priority areas may experience improved air quality, reduced heat exposure, and better public health outcomes as canopy grows.

Procedural and Timeline Highlights

• Introduction and referral: Introduced April 23, 2026; referred to House Committee on Agriculture.
• No specific implementation date is set in the text; funds would be appropriated starting from FY2025 onwards as indicated.
• The Secretary (in coordination with HUD) will establish detailed implementation requirements and grant criteria.
• The Act would become law if enacted, with ongoing appropriations through at least FY2029 as outlined.

Summary of Impact

• Substantive expansion of federal support for urban forestry with a dedicated fund and significant annual appropriation growth through FY2029.
• Emphasis on equitable distribution of canopy benefits, targeting high-poverty and high-heat areas.
• Integration of climate science and public health objectives into project design.
• Expanded advisory council representation to include non-governmental urban forestry experts and residents from smaller or low-income communities.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with existing provisions in the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act or a simple FAQ for policymakers and the public.