The Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas (UG) Parks and Recreation Department has received $200,000 in grants from the Kansas Forest Service to improve the community’s urban forest.
According to the UG, the funding comes from two separate $100,000 awards through the Kansas Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program. The first was awarded on April 22, 2025, and the second on September 5, 2025. Both grants support long-term efforts to strengthen the health and safety of the city’s tree canopy.
The money will help plant 120 new trees across 13 public parks and city-managed spaces, while also removing about 45 dead or hazardous trees from parks and public rights-of-way. Officials said the work will improve safety, promote canopy health, and prepare for the next generation of trees.
UG leaders noted the project is part of a broader succession plan to replace aging trees while planting new ones to create a greener, more resilient environment. Benefits include more shade in parks, cleaner air, reduced heat impacts, improved aesthetics, and greater biodiversity.
A spokesperson with the UG said a key aspect of this funding is that it requires no local match. All costs will be covered by the Kansas Forest Service, meaning the improvements come at no expense to local taxpayers.
With the latest award, UG Parks and Recreation continues to build a healthier and safer urban forest while advancing its commitment to environmental stewardship and community wellbeing.
