Grant Available For Native Trees

From small acorns…

atest press release from Wicklow County Council, issued on Thursday, August 29th 2024…

Wicklow County Council’s annual tree grant is now open for applications until Friday 27th September.

The grant provides funding to local groups to plant trees on public spaces in their community, and aims to increase tree cover within these spaces.

The late autumn and winter months are the ideal time to plant trees, allowing trees to establish good roots well before they come back into leaf in spring.

The annual tree grant provides funding of 75% of the cost of trees to be planted, with a maximum allocation of €500 per applicant. All native trees can be planted, plus several tree species listed under the All Ireland Pollinator Plan as being beneficial for supporting biodiversity. Fruit trees are also funded, and the planting of native hedging in public spaces will also be considered.

Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council Paul O’ Brien commented, “The annual tree grant supports the work of Tidy Towns, Residents Associations and other groups to improve our open spaces with good planting, which enhances amenity while enriching the biodiversity of our local areas. We encourage our communities to make use of and apply for this grant.”

Chief Executive of Wicklow County Council, Emer O’Gorman added, “Wicklow County Council is committed to taking climate action and the restoration of biodiversity. Increasing tree cover with the use of native tree species has an important role to play in achieving our goals.”

Completed applications with costings and a map of proposed planting locations must be submitted by the deadline of Friday 27th September. The grant application can be obtained from the environmental awareness office through eao@wicklowcoco.ie. The application form can also be downloaded here.

For more information on our annual tree planting grants please click here. Cover pic: Colin O’Mahony.