07/22/2025
NEWS RELEASE 7/21/2025 - IID Awards Over $500,000 to Support Greener, Cooler Communities Through Public Green Space Grants
The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) announces it will be awarding over $500,000 in Public Green Space Grants to support much-needed shade and environmental improvement projects across the Imperial and Coachella Valleys.
The funds will support the significant shade tree planting of about 1,000 trees at 23 project sites across the Imperial and Coachella Valleys, leading to the expansion of green spaces, strengthening urban forests, reducing urban heat, lowering temperatures, and beautifying local neighborhoods.
“We are pleased to partner with each grant recipient to invest in a greener future for our communities,” said IID Board Chairwoman Gina Dockstader. “By supporting these projects, together we will help create cooler, more livable communities and help the environment.”
The shade tree-planting projects are expected to avoid over 1.6 million pounds of carbon emissions over the trees' estimated lifetime, which is about 40 years, and save an estimated 4.9 million kilowatt hours of energy.
This marks the second year IID has offered the Public Green Space Grants, which are open to cities, counties, special districts, nonprofits, and community organizations. Notifications of the 2025 awards were made this summer. IID will distribute a total of $507,501; full funding will be made available upon project completion.
The funds come from the District’s Tree for All Program, supported by the state-mandated Public Benefits Charge.
“Trees play a critical role in improving our environment and enhancing the quality of life in our neighborhoods,” said IID Board Vice Chair JB Hamby. “By planting trees, we help reduce residential energy consumption, provide shade that lowers cooling costs, and improve air quality. Trees also beautify our surroundings and create healthier, more connected communities.”
Three local grant recipients include the City of Imperial (50 trees), El Centro Elementary School District (103 trees to be planted across multiple campuses), and Amistad High School of the Desert Sands Unified School District (for a 22-tree project).
“We are excited to be awarded this special grant!” said Anthony “Tony” Lopez, Parks and Recreation Director for the City of Imperial. “IID’s Public Green Space Grant provides a huge benefit to our community. Not only does it help the city increase its carbon capture footprint, it enhances the quality of life for our residents by providing additional shade at our parks and landscapes.”
Mike Reyla, Director of Maintenance, Operations, Transportation, and Facilities for the El Centro Elementary School District, said, “This grant represents an important step forward in our efforts to create healthier, more sustainable learning environments for our students. By increasing shade and greenery across our campuses, we’re not only improving outdoor comfort and air quality, but also setting an example of environmental responsibility for our students and community.”
Principal Richard Pimentel of Indio’s Amistad High School said the trees will replace several destroyed earlier by storms. In addition to acknowledging the beauty they will provide to the school and community, “Reducing our carbon footprint was the main reason we applied for the grant,” he said.