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HR 8474

Neighborhood Tree Act of 2026

119th Congress Introduced by Shontel Brown and 7 co-sponsors

Creates a Neighborhood Tree Fund to fund urban tree canopy projects, prioritizing high-need, low-canopy communities to improve health, climate resilience, and equity.

Introduced in House
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Bill Summary · HR 8474

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.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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