DTE Energy Foundation Funds $100,000 Tree Planting Initiative in Michigan

The DTE Energy Foundation has allocated over $100,000 in grants to 28 Michigan communities as part of a sustainable urban forestry initiative aimed at expanding tree coverage across the state. The funding, announced on January 10, 2025, supports local efforts to plant trees that enhance environmental health and community well-being.

Michigan, home to 20 billion trees covering 53% of its land, continues to prioritize reforestation through competitive grants. Communities such as Reed City, Grayling, Ludington, and Elk Rapids each received the maximum $4,000 to improve their urban tree canopies. The initiative, ongoing since 1996, ensures that trees planted today will thrive for decades to come.

“It is a competitive grant program, and communities and organizations apply for funding,” said Kelly Gray, DNR Urban & Community Forestry Grant Specialist. “Applications are reviewed, and grantees are selected based on the quality of their proposals.”

Grant recipients must meet specific criteria, including ensuring that the trees planted are environmentally beneficial and do not interfere with public utilities. “We focus on sustainability, ensuring that the trees planted today will survive and thrive into the future,” Gray added.

Trees provide numerous benefits, including improved air and water quality, temperature moderation, and wildlife habitat. “If an engineer tried to design a system that mimicked a tree, they never could,” Gray noted. “Trees provide so many benefits that are often undervalued.”

The next opportunity for communities to apply for grants will be in summer 2025. This initiative underscores Michigan’s commitment to maintaining its status as a leader in urban forestry and environmental stewardship.