Trump’s anti-DEI push ends $75 million award to plant trees in places that need them

Arthur Johnson has lived in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward for nearly three decades and appreciates the trees that filter pollution and offer shade. Hurricane Katrina wiped out 200,000 trees across the city, and the city has struggled to restore its tree canopy since then. The US Forest Service recently terminated a $75 million grant to the Arbor Day Foundation, which was working to plant trees in low-income neighborhoods. The grant was part of former President Joe Biden's climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act. The Arbor Day Foundation had partnered with local groups like Sustaining Our Urban Landscape (SOUL) in New Orleans, which has planted over 1,600 trees in the historically Black community. The loss of funding means SOUL has paused plans for another 900 trees and may not be able to maintain existing trees. Trees provide numerous benefits, including capturing stormwater, cleaning the air, and cooling surfaces, especially during heat waves. The grant termination affects not only New Orleans but also 104 other nonprofits, municipalities, and Indigenous organizations across the country. The loss of funding has devastating consequences for these organizations, threatening their survival and ability to carry out critical environmental projects. The US Department of Agriculture stated that the agency is following directions to comply with Trump's executive orders, prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and activities.