July 23, 2024 by Genevieve Bowen Advertisement
Miami’s green canopy could grow to more than 1,000 trees in some of its least shaded areas, as nearly $2 million in federal funding will help establish an urban forest project in the city.
The City Commission is expected to receive a $1,999,999.82 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) today (7/25) to launch the Miami Urban Forestry and Green Workforce Project. The initiative aims to beat the sweltering summer heat by planting more trees in Miami’s most densely populated and most tree-canopy-deprived southwest part of the city, and to train up to 60 residents from underserved communities for the green workforce.
Last July, the city adopted the Southwest Streetscape Master Plan as a blueprint to develop tree canopy within the roughly 6.7-mile project area to build climate resilience by providing shade and reducing the heat island effect.
Heat islands are urban areas that experience much warmer temperatures than the surrounding rural areas because buildings, roads and other infrastructure absorb and reradiate the sun’s heat more than natural landscapes such as forests and bodies of water.
The project area is primarily within Districts 3 and 4 and stretches from Southwest 1st Avenue on the north to Southwest 8th Avenue to Southwest 11th Avenue on the south, bounded by Southwest 27th Street and U.S. 1 on the west, and between Southwest 37th and 39th Streets on the east.
If the resolution, proposed by District 4 Commissioner Manolo Reyes, is approved, the city would use $1,650,250 of the grant money to plant 1,025 trees in an existing grassy swale on the public right-of-way.
With support from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Miami-Dade County Extension (IFAS) and partners at Citizens For A Better South Florida, the project will also create pathways for adults living in disadvantaged areas of Miami to enter the green workforce.
IFAS will receive a grant of $90,074.62 to train up to 60 adults from the Green Workforce cohort over a three-year period. The City of Miami Opportunity Center will screen and place 20 trainees into the cohort each year, and the center will provide a stipend equivalent to a living wage of $16.15 per hour to help them complete the course, taking into account the economic vulnerability of the participants.
Trainees will complete 80 hours of Florida Certified Landscape Technician curriculum aligned with the guidelines of the Florida Nurseries, Growers and Landscapers Association. The skills learned and certification earned will become the industry standard for landscape contracting, design/build and tree installation companies, as well as state and local government employees.
The course prepares students to take the Landscape Architect Certification Exam and provides participants with the skills and education they need to apply for green jobs with the City of Miami and other organizations.
The total grant amount, $77,520, will cover paid training allowances, and Miami’s Opportunity Center will work with participants to place them in green jobs and provide additional employment resources, such as resume writing.
Citizens For A Better South Florida will receive a $15,000 grant for community engagement and outreach activities. The nonprofit will provide workshops to raise trainees’ awareness of the breadth of green career fields, encourage advancement in the workplace, and teach them how to effectively communicate the benefits of trees in the public and private sectors throughout their careers.
Finally, approximately $137,000 will be allocated to develop a street tree management plan for the project’s long-term maintenance and sustainability, including an action plan for a resilient urban forest, including storm response and recovery, comprehensive risk management and tree planting diversity.
Project evaluations use iTree software to calculate and track the amount of carbon stored, pollution removed, runoff avoided, and urban heat island effect mitigation.
The funding will come from the USDA’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, which works to grow and maintain trees, forests and green spaces in urban areas. The program operates under the Justice 40 Initiative, the result of an executive order issued by the Biden Administration in January 2021, to ensure that 40% of the benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, sustainable housing and other investments go to disadvantaged communities that have been marginalized by underinvestment and bear the heaviest burdens from pollution.
