FAQs about Urban and Community Forestry Grant work
- Tree(s) must be ash, diseased oak, or diseased elm.
- Up to three eligible trees can be removed per property through this program.
- Applicants must own and live at the property.
- Household income is within these thresholds based on number of people living in the home.
- 1 person: $0 - $68,500
- 2 people: $0 - $78,250
- 3 people: $0 - $88,050
- 4 people: $0 - $97,800
- 5 or more people: See this chart for households of 5 or more people. To qualify you must fall within the Low (80%) Income Limits threshold.
- Each tree removed must be replaced with at least one tree. Properties with space will be asked to accept multiple trees.
What is the status of my application?
All applicants will receive an email approximately a week after applying with the status of your application.
If you are randomly selected in the lottery, you will receive an additional application to complete to verify household income and participation in the program.
If you don’t get selected to apply for the program, you will be notified along with information about the total number of applicants received. You may reapply in future applications rounds.
We are not able to maintain a waiting list for the program. We anticipate reopening the application every month.
Concern about timing for tree removal
If you are concerned that your tree cannot wait to be removed, consider contacting a private tree removal service and removing the tree at your cost. After final determinations on applications are completed, scheduling of removals will be prioritized based on the condition of the tree(s). We will keep in touch with you via email throughout the process. Direct any questions to treehelp@hennepin.us.
Who qualifies for tree removal assistance?
The following requirements must be met to apply:
I own a townhouse; do I qualify for the tree removal assistance program?
If a townhouse owner can provide proof of ownership and sole responsibility of both the unit and the landscaping where the tree is located, they can be considered the same as a stand-alone homeowner and qualify as a homeowner who can apply for the tree removal and assistance program. All other qualification requirements remain the same as for owners of stand-alone homes.
How do I apply for assistance?
The application takes less than 20 minutes to complete and asks for household and income information. Limit one entry per address.
After the applications period closes, a random number generator will be used to select 100 tree removals to move forward. The number of applicants selected from each city will be proportionate to the percentage of the county's population that resides in that city. Final approval for the tree removals available in this application round will be subject to income and other program verifications.
The county will publish the total number of applications received during the application period.
We are taking this approach to increase accessibility and equity for this program while balancing the workload of staff and contractors. We will continue to adjust the process as needed.
The application process is online and available in English, Hmong, Somali, and Spanish. If you need interpretation assistance or other help with the application, call 612-541-1949 and state the help you need or language you need assistance in. Program staff will then return your call to provide the assistance you need.
If accessibility issues prevent applying to the program, please contact us treehelp@hennepin.us, or call 612-541-1949 to leave us a message.
If a qualifying resident has a tree that needs removal before program implementation, can they be reimbursed retroactively for these costs?
Retroactive payments are not allowed per grant guidelines.
What about stump removal?
We will remove stumps along with trees that are approved for removal as part of this grant program. We will not remove stumps from trees that were removed outside of this program.
How can I stay informed about this program?
Notifications about the application opening are posted on this page and sent via email. We want to ensure all who are interested in applying for this program are notified when applications reopen.
Please provide your email via this form to be included in future notification emails.
Where can I ask questions about this program?
Ask any questions you have in the questions section of this page. You will also find previously answered questions there.
Who is funding this work?
Support for this work is provided by Inflation Reduction Act funding from the U.S. Forest Service.
I'm having trouble accessing the application
The application will read “Sorry, this has not started” prior to scheduled open windows. The application will read “The tree removal and replacement application is closed until the next application period” directly following application windows. If you are seeing either of these messages, the application is not currently open.
My tree(s) was removed through this program. When will my replacement tree be planted?
Each tree removed must be replaced with at least one tree. Properties with space will be asked to accept multiple trees. Trees will be replaced by the fall the year following removal of tree(s). For example, if your tree is removed in spring, summer, or fall 2025 it will be replaced by the end of fall 2026. If it’s removed in fall 2026, winter 2027 or spring 2027, it will be replaced by the end of fall 2027.