LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Grants are now available for communities that want to plant trees in Nebraska.

The Trees for Nebraska Towns program is accepting grant applications through Oct. 1, and roughly $200,000 is available this year. The program focuses on creating plant diversity and sustainable landscapes.

Grant coordinator Kendall Weyers says Nebraska communities have lost between 30 and 50 percent of their tree canopy to disease, insects, weather and other ailments over the last few decades. The grants seek to replenish those lost trees.

Projects must offer a clear public benefit to qualify, and must be located near or within a community’s incorporated limits. Possible sites include parks, schools, college campuses and courthouses.