FY2027 Anne Arundel County Community Tree Planting Mini Grants
The Anne Arundel County Forestry Board and City of Annapolis fund a competitive community-based tree-planting and stewardship mini grant administered by Chesapeake Bay Trust. The controlling FY27 Request for Proposals was released July 2, 2026. Applications are open and rolling until this fiscal year’s funds are exhausted. This is community financial assistance, not equipment procurement or a government service contract.
Applicant grant amounts and separate pools
Community projects elsewhere in Anne Arundel County may request up to $5,000 per applicant. Projects located within the City of Annapolis may request up to $9,999 per applicant under the controlling FY27 RFP. The general program webpage rounds Annapolis funding to $10,000; the RFP’s explicit $9,999 individual request ceiling is used here. The FY27 total program allocations are estimated at up to $36,000 for county projects and $47,500 for City of Annapolis projects. Those two amounts are aggregate program pools, not individual applicant awards.
Eligible applicants and projects
Qualifying project sponsors include 501(c)(3) nonprofits, faith-based organizations, community and homeowners associations, civic and service groups, public agencies and higher education institutions. Projects must be located within Anne Arundel County, Maryland, including the City of Annapolis. The program supports native tree planting, increasing local canopy, stewardship activities and associated invasive vegetation removal as site preparation. It cannot pay for the removal of dead or dying trees. Qualifying projects can occur on public, nonprofit, community-owned or otherwise suitably protected land. Applicants must describe any long-term land access or conservation commitments, community engagement and three-year maintenance arrangements.
Application requirements and cost-sharing
Matching funds are encouraged but not required. Planting proposals must include a native species list, site or planting plan, photographs of the restoration site and a maintenance plan for at least three years. Applications should provide the project budget, volunteer activities, local partners, exact property coordinates, geographic watershed, realistic timeline, and organizational contact information. Separate authorized Executive Officer and Project Leader contacts are needed in the Trust’s SmartSimple portal; the Project Leader email must correspond to the portal login. Projects should be completed within 12 months of award, with extensions considered case by case. Applications are subject to relevant funder certifications and eligible-use conditions.
Rolling deadline and when to apply
No fixed final calendar deadline is announced. The Trust accepts applications on a rolling basis until funding is exhausted, and must receive each submission at least eight weeks before the proposed project’s start date. It encourages application by January 31 for Earth Day plantings or February 15 for other spring plantings, and review dates occur through the county forestry board’s quarterly meetings. Confirm remaining funds and allow adequate lead time before committing to planting. Applications submitted late or after funds are spent cannot be assumed eligible.
Current official program page and application portal: Anne Arundel Community Tree Planting Mini Grant Program. Controlling FY27 RFP: Seven-page official grant instructions (PDF). Last verified November 5, 2026.