This month’s research memo:  Abandoned Mine Land grants

This research memo provides a variety of funding sources for mitigation of impacts from abandoned mine lands. Most of these grants have the goal of improving water quality or restoring healthy habitats. You can find this and other research memos on the Funding Opportunities Web Page. As always, if you have any additional resources to share, please contact the funding team at SNCFundingTeam@sierranevada.ca.gov.

Want to know what grants are coming up? The Funding Opportunities Web page has an updated calendar of funding opportunities expected over the next several months.

Upcoming grants that might be of interest:

• Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Grant Program (deadline March 7) for planning, acquisition, development, maintenance, administration, operation, enforcement, restoration, and conservation of trails, trailheads, areas, and other facilities associated with the use of off-highway motor vehicles.
• Healthy Watershed Consortium Grant Program (deadline March 14) to accelerate strategic protection of healthy, freshwater ecosystems and their watersheds. Proposals should focus on large-scale protection and can involve implementation, enhancing organizational infrastructure, and/or developing financing mechanisms.
• Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (deadline May 2, optional pre-proposals due February 16) to support the purchase of agricultural conservation easements on strategic agricultural lands to achieve and maintain greenhouse gas emissions reductions, sustainable communities, and food security.
• Strong Foundation Grant Program (deadline February 15) grants up to $5,000 for environmental and conservation efforts, grassroots action, environmental education, capacity building, citizen participation, and similar efforts.
• National Fire Protection Association Wildfire Community Preparedness Day (deadline February 28) grants up to $500 for to reduce wildfire risk, advance general wildfire preparedness, or minimize post-fire impacts from a recent wildfire. Funding will support activities that will be completed on Wildfire Community Preparedness Day, which is May 7, 2016.
• Access Fund: Climbing Preservation Grant Program (deadline March 1) grants up to $4,000 for projects that preserve or enhance climbing access/opportunities, and conserve the national climbing environment.

 Get an early start on this funding opportunity:

• Preliminary guidelines have been released for the Active Transportation Program. This funding can be used to develop bikeways, walkways, safe routes to schools, recreational trails and trailheads, park projects that facilitate trail linkages or connectivity to non-motorized corridors, and conversion of abandoned railroad corridors to trails. No match is required. The anticipated deadline is June 15. Applications for this funding require a great deal of documentation as well as coordination with local agencies, so start early!