Three southeastern Connecticut communities will be among 10 recipients of a total of $49,645 in America the Beautiful grants for urban forestry projects, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection announced Thursday.

These grants cover a range of urban forestry activities, including a comprehensive urban forest management plan for East Hartford’s business district, replacing trees in storm ravaged sections of Essex, and providing Bridgeport youth tree inventory and mapping training opportunities.  The grant program is made possible by funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry.

“These grants show the diversity and creativity of local urban forestry programs throughout the state,” DEEP Commissioner Daniel Esty said in a news release. “These funds will also help communities implement recommendations listed in the State Vegetative Management Task Force’s August 2012 final report, better preparing Connecticut for future storm events. Communities across the state will benefit from these grants, from Sprague to Brookfield and from Milford to Plymouth. Trees, especially urban trees, play a pivotal role cleaning our air, protecting our water, and reducing our energy consumption, making a significantly contribution to our everyday quality of life.”

Grants were awarded to:

·         Essex, which will receive $2,280 to replant trees lost in the Ivoryton section of town due to the recent storms.

·         Madison, which will receive $2,000 to identify and map notable trees along the Boston Post Road in town  and along adjacent commercial areas.

·         Sprague, which will receive $8,000 to continue the development of a leaf screen around the Baltic Reservoir, an important natural resource within that community.

  The majority of the work on these grants will be conducted this year, with most grants slated for conclusion by December.