Trump’s anti-DEI push killed $400,000 Indianapolis tree-planting grant: Report

The USDA recently revoked a $400,000 federal grant awarded to Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB) for urban forestry projects, a decision that KIB’s CEO, Jeremy Kranowitz, believes may be tied to anti-Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives from the Trump Administration. The funding was intended to help create a more biodiverse tree canopy and promote equitable tree distribution in Indianapolis. Kranowitz speculated that the inclusion of terms like “biodiversity” and “equity” in the grant application may have led to the revocation, as these concepts are increasingly being scrutinized by federal agencies seeking to eliminate DEI-related projects. Despite the organization’s non-political stance, Kranowitz emphasized that the goal was simply to improve the city through environmental efforts, not engage in political discourse, reported the Indystar.com.

The grant would have helped KIB plant trees in underserved areas, enhancing the city’s biodiversity and preventing future ecological issues. Kranowitz explained that planting a variety of tree species helps prevent diseases and pests from decimating a single species, as seen with past issues like Dutch Elm disease. The money was also intended to create both small “pocket parks” and larger green spaces with walking paths and gardens. Kranowitz clarified that the equity aspect referred to planting trees in areas that lacked them, not to any political agenda, and stressed that these efforts were purely about environmental and community improvement.