We Need Your Help
While the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum does not typically receive federal funding, we work in very close partnership with the Nebraska Forest Service (NFS), which does receive federal funding through the U.S. Forest Service's State, Private, and Tribal Forestry (SPTF) programs. The President’s proposed Fiscal Year 2026 “Skinny Budget” threatens to eliminate these programs entirely —a move that will have devastating consequences for Nebraska communities and forests, as well as volunteer fire departments and landowners.
SPTF programs directly support community forestry, forest health, rural economic resilience, wildfire prevention, volunteer fire departments and reforestation efforts. The elimination of these critical programs would leave Nebraska communities without the resources, tools, and partnerships needed to protect lives, property, and the environment.
Here are some of the initiatives SPTF programs support:
- Technical assistance from NFS—such as tree inventories, inventory software access, evaluation of at-risk trees, arborist training, municipal staff training, tree board assistance, ordinance drafting, forest management support, and much more—that helps communities make informed decisions.
- Programs like Tree City USA, Tree Care workshops, and events.
- Arborist support, including low-cost or free CEU trainings and arborist prep.
- Forest health diagnostics and monitoring (for EAB and other threats).
- Pass-through funding for initiatives like the Free Trees for Fall tree planting program and community forestry grants.
In addition, federal funding provides equipment and training for volunteer fire districts, wildfire mitigation funding and forest management activities.
Eliminating the SPTF programs in the President's "Skinny Budget" would severely impact our communities. Without them, Nebraska's small communities face impossible fire suppression and forest management costs—responsibilities that cannot be handled by their budgets alone.
Take Action
Please consider taking immediate action to help preserve these critically important programs by contacting your Congressional Delegation. Timing is essential. Please call or email your Representative and U.S. Senators before Friday, May 16 and urge them to protect funding for SPTV programs in the FY 2026 budget.
Senator Deb Fischer
Washington D.C. Office: (202) 224-6551
Email
Senator Pete Ricketts
Washington D.C. Office: (202) 224-4224
Email
Find your U.S. House Representative
Share Your Story
When you reach out, please be specific and personal. Share how your community forest or community forestry programs have made a difference in your life, community, or work. Whether you are a city leader, a tree board member, a business owner or a citizen advocate, your voice and your personal experiences are powerful. Here are some examples to consider:
- Have you benefitted from a Tree Care Workshop?
- Has your organization or community received trees from the 10 Free Trees program?
- Has your town been positively impacted by improvements made possible by a community forestry grant?
- Has your town benefitted from wildfire management and prevention practices?
- Have you been positively impacted by our partners in the Nebraska Forest Service—for example, learning from tree experts in an online or in-person workshop?
