| More than 100 community members and activists joined panelists with the Cleveland Tree Coalition to celebrate Arbor Week 2021 and discuss the topic of “Growing Trees and Growing Equity in Cleveland.” The 2015 Cleveland Tree Plan set a target to increase Cleveland’s tree canopy cover from 19% to 30% by 2040. Although the region has made progress in the past five years, according to the Cleveland Tree Plan: 2020 Tree Canopy Progress Report compiled by the Cleveland Tree Coalition, tree canopy cover continues to decline. Neighborhood canopy cover varies widely, ranging from 35% to 4% across the city! From heat island effects to stormwater benefits, the effect of urban forest decline affects Black and Brown communities disproportionately, systemically. The 2020 update calls for the Cleveland community to rise creatively and collectively to regrow an equitable canopy. This includes peeling back many layers of systemic injustices to address health and environmental detriments, and creating just accessible and green opportunities in the process. Interconnected problems have interconnected solutions. In this panel, hear from community leaders on the ground about the real and existing barriers to growing an equitable tree canopy and how some communities/neighborhoods are working extra hard to address the challenges to meet the goal through local grants and community grown solutions. Moderator: Divya Sridhar, Manager of Climate Resiliency and Sustainability, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress Panel Members: Erica Burnett, Director of Community Building and Engagement, Famicos Foundation Samira Malone, Neighborhood Planning Project Coordinator, MidTown Cleveland Councilman Blaine Griffin, Cleveland City Council, Ward 6 Veronica Walton, Executive Director, Food Depot to Health |
Request For Qualifications: Urban Tree Nursery – April 2021
The Cleveland Tree Coalition is seeking proposals from qualified project teams for a Nonprofit Containerized Tree Nursery to supply locally sourced, mostly native tree stock to groups in the greater Cleveland area who are actively working toward the goals of the Cleveland Tree Plan.
This RFQ is based on the findings of a feasibility study, in which the Cleveland Tree Coalition worked with partners to examine the feasibility of establishing an urban tree nursery in Cleveland to supply cost-effective, climate-appropriate nursery stock to the region. Read more about the study and access the full report here: Business Plan: Urban Tree Nursery in Cleveland.
Successful applicants will consist of a project team that is led by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and includes a Nursery Manager that is experienced in sourcing and propagating local native tree seeds and growing containerized woody stock. The project team must present a plan for accessing sufficient land in Cleveland, operating a Nursery that benefits local communities, contributing to green workforce development, and partnering with the Coalition to advance the Cleveland Tree Plan. The Cleveland Tree Coalition will partner with the selected Nursery team to provide technical expertise, management assistance, partnership facilitation, advocacy, and fundraising support for the Nursery.
Proposals will be accepted in a two-part process, consisting first of a letter of inquiry that outlines the project team’s qualifications and their proposed Nursery plan. Invited finalists will then be invited to submit a full proposal that details the team’s qualifications and their proposed Nursery plan.
Letters of inquiry are due Friday, April 30, 2021. Please check the RFQ for additional information, including important deadlines.
