Open 2026 EAB Mitigation competitive assistance; applications due December 17, 2026. Official seven-page guidelines and three-page form reviewed. Controlling project-period inconsistency (January 31 vs June 30, 2028) must be reconciled before protected approval.
Maine 2026 Emerald Ash Borer Mitigation Grants (Up to $20,000; December 17, 2026)
Maine Forest Service 2026 competitive Emerald Ash Borer Mitigation assistance for severely affected Maine communities. Up to $20,000 individual award; $140,000 total mitigation pool; 50% nonfederal match; December 17, 2026 application deadline. Full mitigation guidelines remain to be reviewed.
FundingUp to $20,000 individual applicant award. The $140,000 EAB program pool and $390,000 combined 2026 Project Canopy/EAB pool are NOT individual grants. Standard 50% nonfederal cash or qualified in-kind match, but EAB 2026 guidelines allow match reduction or waiver for qualifying removal assistance to Maine residents experiencing poverty. Awards reimbursed after eligible costs/project completion.
DeadlineDecember 17, 2026, 11:59 p.m. (time zone not stated in official 2026 guideline). EAB project period conflicting: page 2 and spend timetable February 1, 2027-January 31, 2028, but separate page 6 paragraph states June 30, 2028. Confirm controlling end date with funder. Workshop October 29, 1-3 p.m.
Last verifiedOctober 29, 2026 (official 7-page EAB Mitigation Guidelines and 3-page 2026 EAB application fully reviewed; project-period discrepancy unresolved)
Required next actionReview complete 2026 EAB Mitigation seven-page Guidelines and three-page EAB application, confirm January 31 versus June 30, 2028 conflicting project end dates with Maine Forest Service, and attend October 29 grant workshop if not attended since 2024. Submit online common project overview plus signed separate EAB grant package emailed to PROJECTCANOPYGRANTS.DACF@maine.gov by December 17, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Include 1-3 page narrative, EAB removals/treatments map and budget, nonfederal match or documented poverty-related waiver request, three-year treatment schedule where appropriate, partner letters, capacity checklist and two authorized signatures. Application limit five pages outside budget tables, submission inbox 10 MB per email.
Broad Eligibility
Maine local municipal governments, educational institutions and qualifying nonprofits, with potentially eligible Tribal organizations referenced by introduction but not expressly enumerated in formal grantee list (confirm with funder). Program intended for ash removal and approved treatments in EAB-affected urban communities; private tree removals only on properties owned by Maine residents experiencing poverty. Standard 50% nonfederal match may be waived/reduced for qualifying low-income tree removal. Recipients require SAM.gov UEI; workshop required if no attendance since 2024.
Atlas Analysis
Official 2026 seven-page Maine Forest Service Emerald Ash Borer Mitigation Guidelines AND three-page application independently read October 29, 2026. $20,000 individual cap; $140,000 program pool; 50% nonfederal match generally, with explicit reduction/waiver for private tree removal programs assisting low-income Maine residents. Eligible public EAB management removals and approved treatment; low-income private-property removal in defined safety cases. Exclusions machinery acquisition, construction, land, normal utility upkeep. Application includes signed forms, 1-3 page narrative, project map, maintenance plan, match budget, support letters and common online overview. 2027-2028 project period internally inconsistent (Jan31 vs Jun30 end date), so HOLD before protected approval pending controlling clarification. Program is applicant financial assistance not procurement.
2026 Maine Emerald Ash Borer Mitigation Grants
The Maine Forest Service, through Project Canopy with USDA Forest Service support, offers separate competitive Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Mitigation grants for qualifying Maine communities severely affected by EAB. It funds approved management tree removals and protective treatments, rather than general replanting, early-stage planning, or public purchasing contracts.
Applicant funding, matching and deadline
The official 2026 EAB guidelines establish an individual applicant maximum of $20,000. Approximately $140,000 is allocated to the whole EAB track, and $390,000 is the combined announced Project Canopy Assistance and EAB program pool; neither figure is an individual award. The standard nonfederal contribution is a 50% dollar-for-dollar cash or eligible in-kind match, with reimbursement after project completion. Important exception: the EAB guidelines permit the match to be reduced or waived for qualifying programs assisting Maine residents experiencing poverty with tree removals. Applicants must document an applicable exception with Maine Forest Service. The application deadline is December 17, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.; the source does not specify a time zone.
Eligible applicants and specific projects
The controlling guidelines expressly list local municipal units of government, educational institutions and nonprofit entities as eligible grantees. The introduction also mentions Tribal organizations, but its formal eligibility paragraph does not explicitly list them; Tribal applicants should confirm direct eligibility with Maine Forest Service before applying. Funded work may remove infected public street or park ash trees, apply approved preservation treatments to suitable public ash trees, or assist qualifying low-income private property owners with removal to protect buildings or public infrastructure. Private-property removals are limited to properties owned by people experiencing poverty. General planting and early EAB planning belong in the distinct 2026 Project Canopy assistance tracks.
Cost and project restrictions
Reimbursable costs include qualified contractor or consultant services for removal and approved treatment, and necessary supplies. Applicant contribution may include eligible cash, salaries, overhead, volunteer services and equipment use, subject to guidelines. Equipment or machinery purchases, ordinary construction, land acquisition and routine utility-line maintenance are excluded. Recipients must execute a grant agreement before incurring reimbursable expenses, complete required work and provide expense documentation and a final report. Source inconsistency: page 2 and the spending timetable state February 1, 2027 through January 31, 2028, while a separate paragraph on page 6 states June 30, 2028; confirm the controlling project end date with Maine Forest Service before making final project commitments.
Application procedure
A required online grant information workshop is scheduled for October 29, 2026, 1:00–3:00 p.m.; current guidelines require attendance by applicants who have not attended since 2024. Grant recipients need a SAM.gov Unique Entity Identifier. Complete the Project Canopy common online overview and email the signed EAB application package to PROJECTCANOPYGRANTS.DACF@maine.gov by the deadline. The package includes the 2026 EAB application, a one-to-three-page narrative, grant-and-match budget, mapped treatment or removal locations, three-year maintenance or continuing-treatment plan when applicable, specific partner support letters, community-capacity checklist, and designated and official representative signatures. The application form limits the proposal to five pages excluding budget tables and the inbox to 10 MB per message.
Official source
2026 Maine Forest Service EAB Mitigation Guidelines and official three-page EAB application. Both independently examined October 29, 2026. Project period conflict must be reconciled before final protected publication approval.
Source verificationOfficial government source · www3.maine.govAtlas last verified this record October 29, 2026 (official 7-page EAB Mitigation Guidelines and 3-page 2026 EAB application fully reviewed; project-period discrepancy unresolved). Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗
