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Community ReGreening program

Townhomes on residential street

Funding for community planting projects

Our Community ReGreening program supports the planting of trees and other vegetation that help enhance ecological networks across the province. The program also helps to ensure the right trees are planted near our power lines.

Our ReGreening grants fund small-scale community planting projects and are open to all municipal and Indigenous Nations’ governments within BC Hydro’s service area.

The application intake for 2024 grant funding closed on February 29, 2024. All applicants will be notified of funding decisions by email within approximately four to six weeks.

What are the benefits of regreening?

We fund planting projects to help:

  • Enhance open spaces
  • Restore and improve urban canopies
  • Diversify and enhance urban forests
  • Beautify parks and outdoor recreation areas
  • Create natural habitats
  • Bring the community together and support environmental action

About the program

We provide financial support up to $7,500 per applicant to purchase trees and other vegetation for small-scale community planting projects. 

We help fund the purchase of plants and shipping costs when appropriate. Applicants are responsible for arranging labour and ongoing maintenance of their project. Grant funding is awarded to the applicant after the successful completion of the project and the final report is approved.

We’ve expanded our program to include funding for a wider variety of projects including:

  • Street or park trees that don’t interfere with electrical equipment
  • Trees and other vegetation for habitat restoration or enhancement
  • Plants for pollinator gardens
  • Plants of cultural significance to Indigenous Nations (qualifying plants are at the discretion of the applying Nation, so long as plants’ mature height meet our requirements if planted in proximity to power lines)

We can’t accept applications for projects that:

  • Are outside BC Hydro’s service area
  • Are already underway
  • Benefit an individual, private organization, or company
  • Are used for commercial purposes
  • Purchasing cost of trees and other vegetation
  • Shipping costs, in some cases, when appropriate

Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria: 

  • The landscaping plan including the type of vegetation
  • The project profile, visibility, and community support
  • The benefits of the project such as recreation, wildlife habitat restoration or site beautification
  • Educational opportunities to share information about environmental benefits of trees and vegetation
  • The overall site and implementation plan or land dedication
  • Sustainability and ongoing maintenance of vegetation
  • Other funding and community partners involved 
  • Preference will be given to trees and vegetation that are native to B.C.

Important: If planting near power lines, preference will be given to plant species native to B.C. that meet our height and distance restrictions.

Who can apply?

Municipal governments and Indigenous Nations within BC Hydro’s service area are eligible to apply.

There is a limit of one grant per applicant, per year.

How to apply

The application intake for 2024 grant funding closed on February 29, 2024. All applicants will be notified of funding decisions by email within approximately four to six weeks.

With your application you’ll need to include:

  • A site plan that shows the proposed planting for your project. We accept plans drawn on a civic map or Google map.
  • A plant list that includes the mature height and planting zone for each of the selected species.
  • Nursery pricing quote(s) for purchasing vegetation.
  • A letter of permission from the property owner as required based on land ownership.

Applicants selected for grant funding can complete the project in any way they choose (working in partnership with a local community group(s) or other) but the applicant is required to:

  • Agree and adhere to the program terms and conditions
  • Submit a final report upon completion of the project that includes:
    • A selection of photos, showing sites before and after installation
    • Vegetation supplier invoice(s)
    • Invoice from the finance department based on submitted receipts, up to the maximum approved grant amount. Invoice addressed to BC Hydro ReGreening Program, 333 Dunsmuir Street 15 Floor, Vancouver, BC, V6B 5R3

Report deadlines and grant payment processing

Once the review of your final report requirements has been approved, the grant payment will be processed and released. This year we’re offering two final report deadlines.

Early deadline: September 1, 2024

If you submit your final report by September 1, the approval review will be completed within about four to six weeks. Once approved, the payment will be processed.

Final deadline: December 31, 2024

Any final reports not submitted by September 1 must be submitted by December 31, 2024, which we’ll review in January 2025. Once approved, the payment will be processed.

Timeline overview

  • November 1, 2023 to January 31, 2024: Application intake period
  • February 2024 to March 2024: Review period
  • April 2024: All applicants will be advised of their application status
  • September 1, 2024: Early deadline for final report submission
  • October 2024: Grant payments for approved projects are issued to applicants that have met all program requirements and have submitted the final report by the early deadline
  • December 31, 2024: Final deadline for final report submission
  • February 2025: Grant payments for approved projects are issued to applicants that have met all program requirements