Grant Application Opportunities and Notices

On May 25, 2023, CDFW announced $20.4 Million in grant funding to protect salmon habitat and other California fish and wildlife species statewide. This is the third round of grant awards made in 2023 with funding made available last year under Drought, Climate and Nature-Based Solutions Initiatives, bringing the total grant funding awarded to nearly $80 million.

View all projects awarded today online.

CDFW announced nearly $36 million in projects to benefit salmon and their habitats, and to further support climate resiliency, wildlife corridors and wetlands restoration. These awards include $29 million in Drought Emergency Salmon Protection Grants to 10 projects demonstrating support from and collaboration with Tribes and landowner interests in the Shasta and Scott rivers and their watersheds and $9 million from the same fund to Tribes in the Klamath River mainstem for post-McKinney Fire debris flow damage remediation, slope and sediment stabilization, and restoration for salmonids.

CDFW also released its new Grant Project StoryMaps, interactive web pages to view project information with photos, starting with these recent awards. A separate Drought - Protecting Salmon StoryMaps features just the Salmon projects funded with Emergency Drought funding. Projects will continue to be added to these StoryMaps so continue to check back.

CDFW Announces $22.5 Million to Benefit Salmon and Support Critical Habitat Projects Statewide. These awards are part of a new effort to support critical restoration statewide with $200 million in new funding for multi-benefit ecosystem restoration and protection projects under Drought, Climate and Nature Based Solutions Initiatives. CDFW will announce additional awards throughout the month of March.

CDFW will also host an in-person workshop with the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) and State Coastal Conservancy (SCC) on April 19, 2023 in Carlsbad, CA (PDF), to provide information on grant funding opportunities as well as permitting tools available through CDFWs Cutting the Green Tape Program. Additional in-person workshops will be announced on CDFWs Restoration Grants webpage.

The deadline to submit a pre-application for CDFW’s Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (FRGP) is Thursday, February 9, 2023.

For more information, please see the 2023 PSN (PDF), 2023 Guidelines (PDF), and the FAQ (PDF). Applicants should refer to the Online Instructions (PDF) for information about how to complete the application and the Rich Text Format Application (Word) to help organize your application. Applications must be submitted via CDFW WebGrants.

Please visit CDFW’s FRGP website for additional information.  

CDFW will host an online public workshop (PDF) on Thursday, February 23, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., to provide an update on funding opportunities through the new Restoration Grant Programs as well as permitting tools through CDFW’s Cutting the Green Tape Program.

Please contact WatershedGrants@wildlife.ca.gov with any questions.

CDFW is accepting applications for projects submitted under the Cannabis Restoration Grant Program, 2022-2023 Qualified Cultivator Funding Opportunity and the 2022-2023 Cleanup, Remediation, and Watershed Enhancement Funding Opportunity. Both funding opportunities are open, continuous, and non-competitive. Over 20 million dollars is available statewide to assist qualified cannabis cultivators become fully licensed while implementing conservation measures and to restore watersheds and wildlife habitat impacted by cannabis cultivation. Grants are provided through the Environmental Restoration and Protection Account pursuant to Revenue and Taxation Code section 34019(f)(2).

For more information, please review the 2022-2023 Qualified Cultivator Proposal Solicitation Notice (PDF) and the 2022-2023 Cleanup, Remediation, and Watershed Enhancement Proposal Solicitation Notice (PDF), including the project priorities and application requirements. Eligible pre-applicants will be asked to submit a full application in CDFW’s WebGrants. More information is available on the Cannabis Restoration Grant Program website.

CDFW is now accepting applications for projects under the Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (FRGP). The 2023 FRGP Proposal Solicitation Notice (PSN) (PDF) and 2023 FRGP Guidelines (PDF) outlines the priorities and requirements to apply. The deadline for the required pre-application phase is no later than February 9, 2023. Eligible applicants will be invited to submit a full application. The deadline for full applications is April 20, 2023, by 3:00 p.m. Applications must be submitted via CDFW WebGrants.

For more information, please see the 2023 PSN, 2023 FRGP Guidelines, and the FAQ (PDF). Applicants should refer to the Online Instructions (PDF) for information about how to complete the application and the Rich Text Format Application (Word) to help organize your application.

CDFW will be hosting several PSN workshops to assist applicants in understanding the requirements of the PSN and Guidelines. Information on the date and time of each workshop is available on FRGP’s Solicitation Page.

CDFW announced the selection of 25 projects to received $11 million in funding through the Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (FRGP). These awards were made in response to the 2022 Fisheries Habitat Restoration Grant Solicitation, which received 50 proposals seeking more than $38 million in funding.

The list of awarded projects is available on the FRGP web page.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Endangered Species Conservation and Recovery Program Grant (ESCRP; also referred to as the Traditional Section 6 Grant Program) Proposal Solicitation Notice (PSN), is now posted on the ESCRP web page. The application period is open December 16, 2022 – January 27, 2023. See the PSN for application instructions.

The 2023 FRGP Draft Proposal Solicitation Notice (Word) and Guidelines (Word) care available for public review. A summary of the PSN updates is available in the 2023 PSN FAQ (Word). Comments may be submitted to CDFW via email to FRGP@wildlife.ca.gov. Deadline for public comments is December 15, 2022, by 4:00 p.m.

CDFW will host an online Public Workshop to discuss the 2023 solicitation and collect comments from the public on Friday, December 9, 2022, at 11:00 a.m.