Grant Application Opportunities and Notices

CDFW’s Cannabis Restoration Grant Program Awards Three Projects
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced on July 1, 2024, the selection of three water conservation, resource protection, cleanup, remediation and watershed enhancement projects to receive funding in fiscal year 2023-2024.

The combined awards, totaling just over $2 million, were made under CDFW’s Cannabis Restoration Grant Program (CRGP) through the Environmental Restoration and Protection Account pursuant to Revenue and Taxation Code section 34019(f)(2).

Under the Qualified Cultivator Funding Opportunity, CDFW awarded the following project
Water Quality with Swami Select ($209,073 to Ethos Environmental). This project will reduce erosion and improve water clarity by shortening and armoring a culvert, installing an emergency spillway on a pond, creating armored dips and other road improvements and installing water monitoring equipment. This project will also assist a small emerging nonprofit expand capacity to assist other Mendocino County licensed cultivators.

Under the Cleanup, Remediation and Watershed Enhancement Funding Opportunity, CDFW awarded the following projects
TerrAdapt: Dynamic Monitoring, Assessment and Decision Support for Conserving California's Wildlife ($1,058,501 to RESOLVE). This three-year project will use remote sensing and cloud computing technology to monitor and assess California’s environmental changes annually and as far back as 1984. This project will result in identification and prioritization areas for restoration and conservation work for CDFW.

Innovations in Reclamation Monitoring: Ecosystem Response to Grow Site Reclamation ($862,500 to the Integral Ecology Research Center (IERC)). This project will remediate and restore 10 illicit cannabis cultivation sites on public land that include upland, riparian and aquatic habitat by removing hazardous materials and waste, and dismantling water diversion infrastructure. This project aims to restore natural water flow and provide standardized protocols for monitoring environmental change.

For more information on upcoming solicitation notices, visit the Cannabis Restoration Grant Program website.

Media Contact:
Jen Benedet, CDFW Communications, (916) 903-9270

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (CDFW‐OSPR) is seeking grant applications to help fund projects that enhance, restore, or acquire habitat for wildlife, with available funding totaling $5,000,000.

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 (PDF). The EEF selection committee includes representatives from the California Coastal Conservancy, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and CDFW‐OSPR. The selection committee is seeking projects with a minimum requested grant award of $500,000. Projects must be completed by April 1, 2031. Multiple projects may be submitted for funding. Disbursement of money from the grant is contingent on the availability of funds in the EEF.

To qualify, an environmental enhancement project must meet all of the following requirements

• Be located within or immediately adjacent to waters of the state.
• Have measurable outcomes within a pre-determined timeframe.
• Be designed to acquire, restore, or improve habitat or restore ecosystem function, or both, to benefit fish and wildlife.

Eligible Applicants

Nonprofit organizations, cities, counties, cities and counties, districts, state agencies, and departments; and, to the extent permitted by federal law, to federal agencies. All eligible groups and projects are encouraged to apply.

Submitting an Application

An application package must contain the following

1. EEF Grant Application Form (DFW 1910)
2. Line-item Budget
3. Qualifications of Applicant (Project Manager(s) Resume/CV, examples of successful project)
4. Optional Attachments (10 pages maximum): Photos, maps, project designs, tables, figures, graphics, literature cited, any other information to help describe the project, as applicable

Submit your grant application package via email to OSPREEF@wildlife.ca.gov or mail it to Environmental Enhancement Fund Coordinator, 1010 Riverside Parkway, West Sacramento, CA 95605. Grant applications must be received by 5 p.m. on September 11, 2024. Selected projects will be notified in late Fall 2024. For more information, please go to the About OSPR's Environmental Enhancement Fund web page.

Governor Newsom announced today CDFW's award of $50 million in grants to 15 projects to support a diverse array of habitat restoration projects in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, McCloud River, and wetland and meadow projects statewide. These projects include several that directly support Governor Newsom’s recently released California’s Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future, which outlines six priorities and 71 actions to build healthier, thriving salmon populations in California.

Funding for these projects comes from CDFW's Drought for Protecting Salmon, Addressing Climate Impacts, and Nature Based Solutions initiatives, as well as the remaining funds from CDFW's Proposition 1 funded Delta Water Quality and Ecosystem Restoration Grant Program. See press release for the list of awarded projects.

The Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (FRGP) now offers adaptive contingency funding for currently awarded projects. Current grantees can apply by following the FRGP's Contingency Funding Guidelines (PDF). These adaptive funds allow projects to request additional funds to successfully complete their awarded project. Funds are available to support the existing project scope and are not available for activities beyond the original scope.

CDFW's Prop 1 and 68 grant programs offer similar contingency opportunities; more information can be found in the Prop1/68 Contingency Funding Guidelines (PDF).

Links to the guidelines are on FRGP’s web page and Restoration Grants Resources web page.

Thank you and please contact your FRGP grant manager with any questions.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is now accepting concept proposal applications for projects under the Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (FRGP). The 2024 FRGP Proposal Solicitation Notice (PSN) (PDF) and 2024 FRGP Guidelines (PDF) outlines the priorities and requirements to apply. The concept proposal application phase is open until March 4th, 2024. The Full application opens March 5 through April 18, 2024. Applications must be submitted via CDFW WebGrants.

For more information, please see the 2024 PSN, 2024 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.

Finally, please share this solicitation, particularly, with someone who you think has never heard of or applied to FRGP.

Thank you!

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) 2024 Endangered Species Conservation and Recovery Program Grant application period opened today, December 20, 2023. Application packages must be uploaded to the Federal Assistance Services by CDFW grant leads by 5:00 p.m., January 29, 2024. Proposals must be approved and signed by the appropriate CDFW Regional Manager or Branch Chief prior to submission. See the Proposal Solicitation Notice for submission directions.

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.

The Natural Community Conservation Planning Local Assistance Grants Program Solicitation Period has now opened for FY21-22. Proposal must be submitted by June 18, 2021. Please visit CDFW’s Grants for NCCPs and HCPs website for additional information.

CDFW recently hosted two workshops as part of its current Cutting the Green Tape initiative – the recordings and presentations from these workshops are now available online. The February 26 workshop (YouTube) focused on CDFW’s planned Summer 2021 Grant Solicitation. The March 2 restoration permitting workshop (YouTube) covered a variety of topics related to CDFW’s existing and new restoration permitting tools.

Below are copies of the workshop presentations:

• Summer 2021 Grant Solicitation Workshop Presentation (PDF)
• Restoration Permitting Workshop Presentation (PDF)
• Landscape Conservation Planning Presentation (PDF)

Thank you everyone who took the time to log on and attend these workshops. Approximately 500 in total attended, providing a lot of great questions and valuable feedback. Check CDFW’s Cutting the Green Tape Website for upcoming news.

Please contact us with grant workshop related questions and comments at WatershedGrants@wildlife.ca.gov, and permitting related questions at restorationpermitting@wildlife.ca.gov.