Officials announced Monday that the Murphy administration is distributing $1.3 million to promote the stewardship of urban and community trees and forests.

The Department of Environmental Protection is awarding 38 grants to municipalities and counties throughout New Jersey. Funding for the 2021 grants comes from the “Treasure Our Trees” state license plate sales and the New Jersey Forest Service No Net Loss Compensatory Reforestation Program.

Resilience planning grants are meant to help communities assess their current urban forests and provide data about the forest’s structure and composition. The data can then be used to better inform forest management decisions and create sustainable urban forests. Reforestation and tree planting grants are meant to ensure the growth and establishment of trees and forests that best suit the needs and goals of their communities. Municipalities receiving 2021 grants in this category use the funding to increase their urban canopy, increase the ecological services of their urban and community forest, and provide a cooler place to live.

In Mercer County, resilience grants were awarded as follows: East Windsor $10,000; Hamilton Township, $50,000; Lawrence Township, $10,500; Mercer County Park Commission, $50,000. A reforestation and tree planting grant of $10,000 was awarded to Pennington Borough.