$15 million funding to expand trees, combat extreme heat in Nevada

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Local leaders are joining efforts to expand access to green spaces and trees across the Las Vegas valley. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service provided $15 million in federal grants through the Inflation Reduction Acts. 

U.S. Representative Steven Horsford, State Senator Edgar Flores, and the Nevada Division of Forestry joined EDF Action and Defend our Future for a news conference on Friday to discuss the funding's impact to combat heat islands. 

"This is a beautiful park with lots of trees and green grass," said Assemblywoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno (District 1). 

"That's not the case in so many neighborhoods, so this work has been needed for so many years and it's finally giving resources and putting the priority, and saying that all communities are important." 

The funding comes on the heels of the hottest summer on record for Las Vegas and parts of the southwest. 

Investments like these are critical for cooling streets in the valley, improving air quality, and enhancing the quality of life in.