The fundraising effort to replace thousands of trees lost to the 2020 derecho in Cedar Rapids has entered its final phase.

The interim CEO of the non-profit group Trees Forever, Deb Powers, says their goal is $37 million. “That’s a big number. We’re going to get most of that money through major federal grants and things like that,” she says. Powers says they call that the silent portion of the fundraising. “So we’ve achieved a six million dollar grant, three-and-a half million dollar grant through the city, and the city has committed ten million dollars to this campaign,” Powers says.

The remaining amount will be raised in what is called the ‘peoples’ phase of the campaign. ReLeaf Cedar Rapids has already planted 19-thousand trees. and the goal is to plant 40,000 over 10 years. Cedar Rapids lost an estimated 720,000 trees in the derecho — some 65% of its overall tree canopy.