Mayor Wu joined US Sen. Ed Markey to announce $11.4 million in funding from the US Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Grant during a press conference in Franklin Park on Oct. 6. The grant will bolster Boston’s workforce development in urban and community forestry and reduce technical and financial barriers to growing Boston’s tree canopy.

The funding, which comes through the Inflation Reduction Act, will support improving tree care and accessibility, workforce development opportunities, administered through PowerCorps Boston, and expanding Boston’s newly created Tree Alliance.

“Having access to tree coverage throughout our neighborhoods provides cool, green, healthy spaces for residents to thrive,” said  Wu. “I’m grateful to the US Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Grant for their generous support to grow our workforce and expand our canopy across Boston to increase the livability of our neighborhoods.”

Said Markey: “We shook the money trees, and we got green for green. This funding will help plant new seeds of environmental justice in communities that have been fighting for fresh air and fresh investments and will create new green jobs and more resilient communities across our Commonwealth.”

The program specifically targets neighborhoods like Dorchester and Mattapan and has already helped to expand plantings at the Boston Nature Center in Mattapan this year.