Riverton City Council approves $102K grant application to complete tree inventory, boost city canopy

(Riverton, WY) – The Riverton City Council voted this week to approve a $102,000 application to the Wyoming State Forestry Division’s Urban and Community Forestry Program for an Inflation Reduction Act Tree Inventory and Planting Grant.

If awarded, the grant funding would allow Riverton to complete a citywide tree inventory and plant 50 additional trees throughout local parks and public spaces, according to city staff.

Tree inventory

During this week’s city council meeting, Public Works Director Brendan Thoman said the IRA grant would support the second phase of a local tree management program that was launched in 2024.

During the first phase of the program, the city used IRA funding to inventory about half of Riverton’s parks and public areas using a combination of traditional field inventory methods and advanced drone technology, Thoman said, including LiDAR and spectral imagery to assess tree health and canopy coverage.

This year’s grant request would allow the city to complete the remaining inventory using both traditional and drone-based methods, Thoman said.

The funding would also support the planting of 50 additional trees in town, he continued, noting that the city’s canopy coverage is currently estimated at about 6.4 percent – well below the statewide average of 11.9 percent. 

The new trees – including Canada red cherry, lance leaf cottonwood, American elm (Accolade), American elm (prairie expedition), honey locust (thornless), linden, ivory silk lilacs, hot wings maple, Northwood maple, sensation maple, serviceberry, crabapple, and bur oak – would be planted in Jaycee Park, Sunset Park, Teter Park, Narrows Park, and along the Heritage Trail, according to a memo from staff.

Mayor Tim Hancock commented on the diversity of the tree selection this week, applauding the Riverton Tree Board – the group Thoman credited with preparing the grant proposal – for their dedication to providing “a variety of trees” in town.

“We have a lot of people who are willing to put in a lot of work to try to improve our canopy, and I appreciate it,” Hancock said. “We’ve got good people on the Tree Board.”

Budget breakdown

The total grant request is for $102,000, including $80,000 that would be reimbursed by the state and a required city match of $22,000 that would be provided entirely in-kind in the form of materials, city equipment, and volunteer hours, Thoman said.

The reimbursable portion of the grant includes:

• $30,000 – Traditional tree inventory
• $30,000 – Drone tree inventory
• $20,000 – Purchase and planting of 50 trees

Thoman confirmed the trees would be purchased from a local nursery.

The city’s proposed $22,000 in-kind match includes:

• $10,176 in volunteer time (40 people for eight hours at $31.80/hour, per federal standards)
• $1,784 in mulch and support posts for trees
• $10,040 for approximately five high-priority tree removals

The memo from staff indicates that about $2 million is available statewide for eligible IRA grant applicants, and Thoman said funding is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. 

For more information, call the City of Riverton at (307) 856-2227.