UADA specialist receives $1.6 million grant funding to plant more than 166,000 trees in central Arkansas
April 15, 2026
By Ryan McGeeney
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts
- EPA grant supports planting of 166,000-plus native trees
- Any individual, organization in six counties may request free trees for pick up
- Order trees online
(750 words)
Download photo of Pennington
LITTLE ROCK — John Pennington, extension water quality educator for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, has secured $1.6 million in grant funding to plant more than 166,000 native trees throughout six counties in central Arkansas over the next three and a half years.
The Central Arkansas Tree Planting Project began with a grant-funding program from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, initiated under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Grant funding was allocated to Metroplan, a federally designated metropolitan planning organization for central Arkansas.
“This grant is increasing watershed management capacity as part of the Arkansas Watershed Steward program,” Pennington said. “Without the AWS, there would not be this project.”
Eric Simon, a crop, soil and environmental sciences program associate for the Division of Agriculture, said Metroplan then contracted with the Cooperative Extension Service to distribute the trees to individuals and organizations in Faulkner, Grant, Lonoke, Perry, Pulaski and Saline counties.
“The trees are all native species,” Simon said. “We have a list of about 25 species available for 2026 that are ready to go into the ground. They’re bare-root trees — we will have some potted trees available later.
“Anybody and everybody can plant these trees,” he said. “Individuals, businesses, nonprofits and municipalities. We’re looking to partner with people who want them.”
Pennington said extension’s history of experience in working directly with Arkansans will help bring the plan to fruition.
“Extension is uniquely positioned, with offices and deep community connections in each county,” Pennington said.
Improving water quality through trees
Planting trees serves multiple ecological purposes, including sequestering carbon, reducing greenhouse gases, reducing soil erosion and improving groundwater quality.
“This project will provide a wide range of benefits, including social, economic and environmental benefits, including large amounts of carbon sequestration, improved water quality in waterways, increased groundwater recharge, increased quality of life for people and wildlife,” Pennington said. “This project is an excellent opportunity for people to participate in an intentional effort to improve and add value to the quality of life, environment, and economy of Central Arkansas. People can help make our air and water cleaner and our environment and region healthier and more resilient.”
Pennington said that planting trees where deforestation or metropolitan development has occurred helps to regulate the hydrologic cycle by absorbing rainfall. This helps reduce flooding — especially flash flooding — and increases water infiltration into the ground.
"Trees improve property values and trees reduce summertime energy costs through the shade that they provide,” Pennington said. “They’re pleasant to look at and provide us with many gifts.”
The overall effort
Pennington said the Metroplan Climate Pollution Reduction Grant, the grant that directly funds the tree planting project, was written primarily for the Metroplan region of Central Arkansas. Both the Fort Smith area and the Northwest Arkansas regional planning area also received funding.
He said that while “there are a lot of people in Arkansas that want to do a lot of good for the environment,’ resources are limited, and choices have to be made.
“This is the same issue we face across the nation,” Pennington said, “with regard to soil and water conservation or natural resource management or watershed management and stewardship.”
Pennington estimated that the tens of thousands of trees to be planted through the project could sequester between 83,000 and 332,000 tons of carbon over the next 50 years.
How to order trees
The trees are free to anyone who wants them within the designated counties. Recipients must record the locations of the planted trees, make efforts to encourage their survival and provide follow-up documentation if requested.
Individuals or organizations wishing to place orders for a small number of trees — 50 or fewer — can use the project’s online order form and pick up their trees at designated locations and times. Organizations wishing to order large numbers of trees should contact extension program staff directly at TreePlantingProject@uada.edu.
Over the course of the three-and-a-half-year project, there will also be volunteer opportunities, as well as in-person demonstrations and training opportunities.
The project has more than a dozen partnership organizations, including Arkansas Wild Spaces, Central Arkansas Water, Saline County Conservation District, Arkansas EHC, North Little Rock Engineering, Little Rock Audubon Center, Arkansas Master Naturalists, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Arkansas Department of Agriculture, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, City of Little Rock, Saline River Watershed Alliance, Friends of Fourche Creek, Lake Conway Point Remove Watershed Alliance, Oak Bayou Conservancy, Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts, Faulkner County Conservation and Arkansas Master Gardeners.
To learn more about the program, contact Pennington at jhpennington@uada.edu.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station at aaes.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
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Media Contact:
Ryan McGeeney
rmcgeeney@uada.edu
501-671-2120