CDFW News

CDFW Offering up to $5 Million in Grants to Enhance or Restore Habitat

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 13:03:43 GMT

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (CDFW‐OSPR) is accepting grant applications to fund projects that enhance, restore or acquire habitat for wildlife, with available funding totaling $5 million.

These grant funds come from CDFW-OSPR’s Environmental Enhancement Fund (EEF), which acquires funds from spill violations in accordance with California’s Lempert-Keene-Seastrand Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act.

Key details of this grant opportunity are:

Grant range: Minimum $500,000 per project
Completion deadline: April 1, 2031
Eligibility: Nonprofits, cities, counties, districts, state and federal agencies
Location: Projects must be within or near California waters
Requirements: Projects must show measurable outcomes and improve habitat or ecosystem function
Multiple projects may be submitted for funding

The selection committee includes representatives from the California Coastal Conservancy, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and CDFW‐OSPR. This is the largest grant amount available since the beginning of the EEF.

Grant applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Sept. 11, 2024. Selected projects will be notified in late fall 2024. For more information, please go to www.wildlife.ca.gov/OSPR/Science/Environmental-Enhancement-Fund/About

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Media Contacts:
Cristina Perez, CDFW-OSPR Environmental Enhancement Fund, (916) 956-8175
Eric Laughlin, CDFW-OSPR Communications, (916) 214-3279

Grant Awarded to Convert Former Landfill into Los Angeles County’s First New Regional Park in Three Decades

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 14:36:13 GMT

Wildlife Conservation Board Awards Nearly $120 Million in Grants to 43 Habitat Conservation and Restoration Projects

The Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) approved 43 habitat conservation and restoration projects spanning 23 counties and protecting nearly 28,000 acres at its May 23 quarterly meeting. The Saturday, June 22 announcement of a state budget agreement allows WCB to release funds to these inspirational projects, including a $12.5 million grant to the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation to help convert a 142-acre site, formerly a portion of the Puente Hills Landfill – which at one point during its nearly 60 years of operations was considered the second-largest landfill in the country – into Puente Hills Regional Park, Los Angeles County’s first new regional park in 30 years.

Prior to the landfill’s operation, the project site once supported a thriving ecological system of oak-woodland, coastal sage scrub and chaparral habitats. Restoration of the site will include the establishment of native plant communities which will address the critical issues of habitat degradation, loss of biodiversity, disrupted habitat connectivity, and the unmet needs for accessible open space. The park will serve the residents of Los Angeles County as well as Orange County and the Inland Empire.

“The Puente Hills Regional Park is the culmination of a decades-long vision to transform the former landfill and its 150 million tons of trash into a public space, a place for nature and wildlife, a place for healing, restoration, and regeneration,” said Norma E. Garcia-Gonzalez, director of Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. “The park will be the outcome of the most robust community engagement process we’ve ever done. The resulting native landscapes and spectacular views will serve millions in the greater Los Angeles region for generations to come.”

The grants will support Gov. Gavin Newsom’s goal of conserving 30 percent of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030, an initiative known as 30x30. The initiative seeks to protect biodiversity, expand access to nature for all Californians and address climate change.

Other funded projects include:

A $1 million grant to Kounkuey Design Initiative, Inc. to plan two open space areas that connect the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indian tribe and local community to desert habitats and celebrate their cultural heritage. The property provides an important opportunity to increase outdoor access, build traditional ecological knowledge, offer indigenous and environmental education, and restore habitat through native planting design.
“Desert Lake Shore is a commemorative, interactive landscape that weaves together several forms of indigenous artifacts found on a 38-acre site owned by Friends of the Desert Mountains,” said Oscar Ortiz, director of education for Friends of the Desert Mountains. “These artifacts include petroglyphs, fish traps, and ceramic remains. In a collaborative project with the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, this project would help to bring the Torres Martinez tribe’s history into full view and help share present histories of its people and culture.”
“The unincorporated region of the Eastern Coachella Valley—despite its varied and rich ecological context from natural palm oases to beautiful deserts to the shoreline of Salton Sea—has few spaces for residents to be outside, recreate, and interact with nature,” said Lauren Elechi, senior design principal for Kounkuey Design Initiative, Inc. “The two projects will not only begin a much-needed process to plan and build ecologically sensitive public spaces through a participatory co-design process with community members but will crucially center partnership with the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indian tribe to honor their past traditions, build strong relationships in the present, and preserve space for cultural practice for future generations.”
A $5.55 million grant to The Trust for Public Land and Marin County Open Space District to conserve 110 acres in the town of Tiburon in Marin County. The conservation of the Tiburon Ridge/Martha Co. property will create 256 acres of contiguous, protected open space, and protect critical biodiversity. The property supports rare and special status species, including red-legged frog, the Tiburon jewel flower, and the Marin dwarf flax, a federally threatened plant. The project also provides public access via four main trails, offering panoramic views of San Francisco Bay.
"Trust for Public Land is honored to join forces with the California Wildlife Conservation Board as they announce their generous and critical support for the Tiburon Ridge project,” said Guillermo Rodriguez, California state director and vice president for the Pacific region of the Trust for Public Land. “With time running out to acquire this property for the public, WCB’s timely support marks a pivotal moment in the 30-year effort to preserve this cherished landscape. This project isn’t just about preserving breathtaking views; its about safeguarding vital habitats and ensuring access to green spaces for generations to come.”
A $1.6 million grant to the University of California, Davis for a cooperative project with the Mojave National Preserve to study the ability of head-started desert tortoises to survive in the wild.
“This project provides crucial support to ensure that desert tortoises have a place in California’s future,” said Dr. Brian Todd, professor of conservation biology at UC Davis.
“Research to date by Dr. Todd, his colleagues, and their students has produced multiple publications that lay important groundwork for recovery of the Mojave Desert Tortoise which the proposed project is poised to capitalize on,” said Roy C. Averill-Murray, desert tortoise recovery coordinator (retired) for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
“The program has produced nearly 700 juvenile desert tortoises. Importantly, the head-starting process has been optimized by including an initial one-year period of indoor rearing during which juveniles experience more rapid growth, effectively reducing the time required in captivity to produce a juvenile of releasable size from 5 to 7 years to 1 to 2 years.”
A $2.75 million grant to The Nature Conservancy to protect 389 acres of land and enhance streamflow in French Creek, part of the Klamath River watershed for the protection of species including coho and Chinook salmon.
“The property lies along the portion of French Creek that hosts amongst the highest density of coho redds in the entire Scott River watershed,” said Sandi Matsumoto, water program director for The Nature Conservancy California. “By improving late summer streamflow and creating the opportunity to restore habitat, we hope to contribute to coho recovery in the Klamath River – an exciting prospect as dams are being removed.”

For more information about the WCB, please visit wcb.ca.gov.

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CDFW Announces the Availability of $200 million in New Grant Funding Under Drought, Climate and Nature-Based Solutions Initiatives

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 12:46:32 GMT

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has announced the availability of over $200 million in new funding for multi-benefit ecosystem restoration and protection projects under Drought, Climate and Nature-Based Solutions Initiatives. This new funding for restoration and protection of critical habitat and watersheds statewide also supports key initiatives including conserving 30 percent of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030 under California’s 30x30 initiative, Nature-Based Solutions, and increasing the pace and scale of restoration through Cutting the Green Tape.

CDFW has also launched a new online application portal to receive applications for grant funding under these new initiatives. As part of its Cutting the Green Tape efforts, this streamlined application and review process will remain available on an ongoing basis, allowing applicants to submit one application for consideration under multiple funding streams. CDFW is accelerating the review and approval process under this funding with the goal to review and approve the award for grants for selected projects within 30 days of receipt. Following awards, CDFW will work to develop agreements for awarded projects.

“The time to act is right now because California’s ecosystems face dire conditions for our species,” said CDFW Director Charlton H. Bonham. “This funding is absolutely the push we all need to put some largescale projects across the finish line.”

An overview of the new funding available for restoration, including grants, is as follows:

Drought Emergency: Protecting Salmon - $100 million

In response to current drought conditions, the California Legislature authorized $100 million to allow CDFW to protect and restore salmon in 2022 and 2023. This funding will support restoration and protection projects that enhance salmon resiliency to drought and climate change.

CDFW also plans to dedicate $20 million of this funding within the Klamath River Watershed to projects demonstrating support from and collaboration with Tribes and landowner interests. This $20 million will be available as follows:

Up to $10 million available for projects within the Scott River and its tributaries; and
Up to $10 million available for projects within the Shasta River and its tributaries

Nature-Based Solutions

Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2020 Executive Order N-82-20 (PDF) outlines a comprehensive and results-oriented agenda to expand nature-based solutions across California, advancing an approach to restoration that works with and enhances nature to help address societal challenges. Two new programs within CDFW will work toward this goal.

Wetlands and Mountain Meadows Restoration

As part of the Nature-Based Solutions Initiative, up to $54 million is available for projects that restore or enhance wetlands and mountain meadow ecosystems with quantifiable greenhouse gas reduction benefits, consistent with the Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy (PDF) and Pathways to 30x30. The program will also support pilot projects for CDFW's forthcoming Beaver Restoration Program.

Wildlife Corridors

Up to $42 million under Nature-Based Solutions will be available for CDFW for connectivity planning and implementation projects consistent with the State Wildlife Action Plan, the state’s efforts on connectivity, and the Fish Passage Annual Legislative Report (PDF) or efforts to allow fish and wildlife the freedom to roam in California by accelerating fish and wildlife corridor projects.

Addressing Climate Impacts

Up to $35 million is available to support projects addressing urgent degrading water and habitat conditions due to climate change impacts, including for grants. Eligible uses of these funds include purchasing water from willing sellers to benefit wildlife, protecting instream flows, building water conservation projects, implementing emergency restoration activities and conservation strategies identified in the State Wildlife Action Plan with a priority on actions that protect the Species of Greatest Conservation Need identified in the plan.

CDFW has developed a single set of General Grant Program Guidelines with an overview of eligible project types, priorities and information on the application process, available at wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Watersheds/Restoration-Grants/Concept-Application. Applications submitted under these new initiatives may also be considered for further evaluation under CDFW’s Proposition 1 and Proposition 68 Grant Programs, and a separate call for projects will also be released for these programs in early 2023.

More information about these funding opportunities, including guidelines and how to apply, general information about CDFW’s grant programs, as well as a schedule for upcoming grant solicitations, once available, can be found at wildlife.ca.gov/Grants.

Media Contacts:
Matt Wells, CDFW Watershed Restoration Grant Branch, (916) 216-7848
Ken Paglia, CDFW Communications, (916) 825-7120

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