Pittsburgh’s trees do quiet work. They shade streets, absorb stormwater, and cool neighborhoods in summer. Keeping that canopy healthy takes a steady supply of young trees and people trained to plant them, and the Colcom Foundation has been helping pay for both.
The Foundation began supporting Tree Pittsburgh in 2007. Starting in 2012, it moved to annual general operating support, a type of funding that lets a nonprofit cover staff, facilities, and planning rather than tying every dollar to a single project.
The Heritage Nursery
Much of that support flows into the Heritage Nursery. The nursery grows thousands of native trees and shrubs each year for planting across Allegheny County. Native stock tends to suit local soils and wildlife, and growing it locally gives Tree Pittsburgh control over what ends up in the ground.
Operating funds from the Colcom Foundation also helped Tree Pittsburgh expand, strengthen its organizational capacity, and step into regional leadership roles in urban forestry.
Responding to Losses
The need is real. Allegheny County lost 10,148 acres of tree canopy between 2010 and 2015. The emerald ash borer, oak wilt, and development pressure drove much of that decline. The county continues to lose roughly 2% of its remaining canopy every five years.
Colcom Foundation grants funded a 2019 and 2020 giveaway of 4,000 trees, directed to the communities that had suffered the heaviest losses.
That groundwork paid off in 2020, when Tree Pittsburgh led the formation of the Pittsburgh Canopy Alliance. The coalition of 20 environmental organizations includes Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, and Allegheny Land Trust. Its goal is no net loss in county-wide tree coverage.
The Alliance later secured an $8 million U.S. Forest Service grant funded through the Inflation Reduction Act, plus an additional $1 million awarded to the City of Pittsburgh. Those dollars must be spent within five years on planting, maintenance, education, and workforce development in high-pollution, economically distressed neighborhoods. Read this article for more information.
More about Colcom Foundation on https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile?key=COLC002