Oregon Department of Forestry Provides $4.4 Million in Grants to Increase Capacity of Tree Nurseries

Recent wildfires, disease, and pests have led to millions of acres of Oregon land being deforested. To help address the issue, the Oregon Legislature in 2021 passed House Bill 5006, which provided the Oregon Department of Forestry with $4.4 million in grants to help ten tree nurseries across the state increase their ability to produce badly needed seedlings.

According to a press release (2-7-23) from the Department of Forestry, nurseries can use their funding allotment to invest in everything from adding irrigation to building new greenhouses and seedbed space, as well as storage facilities for storing seedling trees. Additional equipment, the cost of collecting and purchasing tree seeds, and buying land on which to expand nursery facilities are also eligible expenses.

To qualify for a grant, a nursery had to have experience growing high-quality commercial conifer trees for reforestation in Oregon, including Douglas-fir, grand fir, noble fir, western redcedar, ponderosa pine, and others.

A complete list of the ten nurseries and their funding allotment is included in the original source.