DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Hundreds of communities around the country will share more than $1 billion in federal money to help them plant and maintain trees under a federal program that is intended to reduce extreme heat, benefit health and improve access to nature. U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will announce the $1.13 billion in funding for 385 projects at an event Thursday morning in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Cedar Rapids has made the restoration of its tree canopy a priority since that storm, called a derecho, and will receive $6 million in funding through the new grants. She told reporters earlier that many communities have lacked access to nature and that all the tree grants would benefit marginalized and underrepresented communities. “Urban forests can really play a key role in ensuring both that access but also increasing the climate resilience of communities, helping reduce extreme heat and making communities more livable.”The federal money comes from the Inflation Reduction Act.

---

Persons: Tom Vilsack, ” Vilsack, Brenda Mallory, ” Mallory Organizations: DES, U.S . Department of Agriculture, D.C, Virgin, White, Council, Environmental, Vilsack Locations: DES MOINES, Iowa, Cedar Rapids , Iowa, Washington, Puerto Rico, Cedar Rapids, Cedar, New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Tarpon Springs , Florida, Hutchinson , Kansas