Sponsor: Public Works
Title
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Grant Agreement with the Metropolitan Council for Pierce Butler Route Tree Canopy Improvement Project
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Recommendation
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1. Ratify the submittal of the grant application to the Metropolitan Council in the amount of $171,050 for the 2025 Community Tree Planting Grant.
2. Accept a grant award and approve a grant agreement with the Metropolitan Council for 2025 Community Tree Planting Grants for the period of May 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027, in the amount of $171,050.
3. Authorize the Chair and Chief Clerk to execute the grant agreement.
4. Authorize the County Manager to enter into agreements and execute amendments to agreements in accordance with the county’s procurement policies and procedures, provided the amounts are within the limits of the grant funding.
5. Authorize the County Manager to establish a grant budget of $171,050 for the Pierce Butler Route Tree Canopy Improvement Project in the Public Works budget.
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Background and Rationale
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In April of 2024, the county board adopted the Climate Equity Action Plan. The plan was developed to mitigate and adapt to climate change, with a priority on work within climate-vulnerable populations. One of the focus areas, climate-smart natural land, includes the goal of managing, protecting, and expanding urban tree canopy. County staff have worked to identify opportunities to fund tree canopy expansion projects in prioritized neighborhoods in the county that are vulnerable to climate change.
In March of 2025, the Metropolitan Council issued a request for grant applications to fund projects that support healthy tree canopy in the region. Key criteria for the Metropolitan Council included the following priorities: removing and replacing ash trees that pose safety concerns and funding projects located in census block groups with a supplemental demographic index score in the 70th percentile or higher. County staff prepared an application to propose a project for tree canopy expansion on Pierce Butler Route. Pierce Butler Route is a transportation corridor that has been identified as an area that experiences extreme heat, and the Frogtown community is vulnerable to climate change impacts. This was a competitive grant application process, with $2,500,000 of funding made available, with $5,537,897 in funding requests. The project proposed by county staff was selected for funding by Metropolitan Council staff.
The outcomes of this project are a healthy and resilient tree canopy that will reduce the heat island effects in the Frogtown neighborhood and increase resilience to future tree pests and diseases through the planting of a diverse mix of tree species. Additionally, this project will address public safety concerns posed by dead and declining trees. Action by the board will support this critical work in addressing heat islands on county property and public safety.
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☒ Prosperity ☒ Opportunity ☒ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
Racial equity was a key consideration in the development of the project. Frogtown is the center of Saint Paul's immigrant communities, with populations of Hmong, Burmese, Vietnamese, Somali, and Ethiopian immigrants. Over 42% of Frogtown’s population speaks English as a second language. There is a dramatic difference between the surrounding community’s median income and that of Frogtown residents. In stark comparison to the $88,729 area median income for surrounding communities in 2022, median income in Frogtown was below $51,692. The Frogtown community has the least amount of space allocated for community parks out of all St. Paul neighborhoods. A recently conducted study on the Urban Heat Island Effect noted that the community is centered within an identified high-heat area that experiences severe urban heat island effects. Frogtown residents are considered highly vulnerable to the health impacts of extreme heat from both socioeconomic and environmental perspectives.
Community Participation Level and Impact
The county is partnering with Frogtown Green, a resident-led organization that provided a concept plan for increasing canopy and pollinator habitat along Pierce Butler. This project is supporting the tree planting identified in the concept plan. Additionally, the county is partnering with the city of Saint Paul’s Parks and Recreation Forestry Department to support their Climate Action and Resiliency Plan and reforestation efforts. The county will seek feedback from city and community partners as the project tasks are implemented. The county plans to utilize an ongoing communication strategy that will both inform and educate the community about the overall project work as well as the anticipated impact this project will have on the community. To address the rich cultural diversity of the region, communications will be made available in multiple languages. Website and social media sites for the county, the City of St. Paul, and Frogtown Green will be coordinated to ensure that the project is well-advertised to impacted and regional interests, including businesses.
☒ Inform ☒ Consult ☒ Involve ☒ Collaborate ☒ Empower
Fiscal Impact
The associated costs for this program are funded by the grant from the Metropolitan Council, which will be included in the Public Works 2025 budget and in the proposed 2026-2027 budget. No match is required for this grant.
Last Previous Action
None.
Attachments
1. Grant Agreement