The Office of Spill Prevention and Response offers grant programs that support oil spill readiness and environmental protection. These include funding for response equipment, Tribal preparedness activities, local oil spill contingency planning, and projects that restore habitats impacted by spills. Together, these grant programs strengthen local capacity and help provide the best achievable protection of California’s natural resources.
Oil Spill Response Equipment Grant Program
The Oil Spill Response Equipment grant program provides funding to Native American Tribal governments, counties, cities, and special districts to pre-position response equipment that can help protect their economic resources in the event of an oil spill.
OSPR is currently accepting grant applications from eligible jurisdictions throughout California.
California Native American Preparedness Grant Program
The California Native American Preparedness grant program provides funding to Native American tribes for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response training, participation in oil spill exercises, attendance at oil spill-related meetings, and involvement in outreach events. These opportunities help Tribal communities prepare to protect their tribal lands and communities from oil spills.
OSPR is currently accepting grant applications from California Native American Tribes listed on the contact list maintained by the Native American Heritage Commission.
For questions, contact OSPR’s Tribal Coordinator, Cindy Murphy, Cindy.Murphy@wildlife.ca.gov, (916) 616-4515.
Environmental Enhancement Fund Grant Program
The Environmental Enhancement Fund grant program uses penalty monies associated with oil spills to support environmental enhancement projects that are within or immediately adjacent to waters of the state. More information can be found on the Environmental-Enhancement-Fund page.
Local Government Grant Program
The Local Government grant program supports local governments adjacent to marine waters in updating their local oil spill contingency plan, attending Area Contingency Planning meetings, and participating in oil spill-related exercises.
Important Update
All eligible local governments have submitted their initial local oil spill contingency plans. As a result, the grant selection and application review process for new local oil spill contingency plans has been repealed. The program now focuses solely on reviewing and funding updates to existing local oil spill contingency plans, supporting participation in oil spill-related exercises and related training.
Grant Availability
The Local Government Grant Program is closed for Fiscal Year 2025/2026. The next application cycle will open in October 2025 for Fiscal Year 2026/2027. Check back for future announcements.
If you are interested in attending or observing an oil spill exercise, contact Andrea Moore, Local Government Grants, Outreach, and Volunteer Coordinator, andrea.moore@wildlife.ca.gov.
Outreach
OSPR offers a variety of presentations depending on the needs of the tribal or local government.
- OSPR Overview – Full or half-day multi-discipline presentations focusing on the resources brought by OSPR to respond to an oil spill and how tribal governments, counties, and cities would interact with OSPR during an oil spill response
- Mini OSPR Overview – Shorter presentations providing a brief review of the history of oil spill response in California, the events leading to OSPR’s creation in 1991 and its increased role in 2014, initial oil spill response actions by OSPR, and a discussion of the roles and responsibilities of native American tribes, counties, cities, and special districts when oil spills in their jurisdiction
Representatives of OSPR’s Field Response Teams (FRT) and local government outreach coordinators regularly attend Area Contingency Plan Committee Meetings (ACP) and each of the six Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) meetings held throughout California.
Cindy Murphy - Tribal Coordinator
Cindy.Murphy@wildlife.ca.gov