AUGUSTA – Maine’s Project Canopy will award $100,000 in grants to local municipal governments, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations that support community efforts to develop and maintain long-term community forestry programs.

Project Canopy encourages communities to develop projects that support sustainable community forestry management, increase awareness of the benefits of trees and forests, increase the health and livability of communities through sound tree planting and maintenance and improve the quality of inner city communities in Maine’s most urbanized areas.

Project Canopy has three grant categories: planning and education grants, tree planting and maintenance grants and inner city improvement grants. The grants are competitive and require a 50 percent match from the recipient in cash or in-kind services.

Applicants must attend a grant workshop prior to submitting an application. Workshops will be held during the first week in August, in various locations throughout the state and will cover topics including project development, sustainable community forestry management and grant administration. To sign up for a workshop, people should contact Project Canopy at 1-800-367-0223.