California Fire Safe Council (CFSC) will begin accepting applications for its competitive application process for 2017 wildfire prevention grants on April 3, 2017. The application deadline is May 12, 2017 at 5 p.m. PST. The grants will support the following areas of wildfire prevention:

• Hazardous fuels reduction and maintenance projects on non-federal land
• Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP) and other planning or assessment documents
• Prevention and mitigation education and outreach opportunities for landowners and residents in at-risk communities

CFSC has approximately $2 million available for 2017 wildfire prevention projects. Grant amounts cannot exceed $200,000 per application. There is a dollar for dollar or 50% cost share/match, which means the federal funding can account for up to 50% of the project’s cost. The remaining 50% must come from non-federal sources and can include cash and/or third-party in-kind. The maximum grant award is $200,000 and the duration is 24 months.

Three training workshops and a webinar will be held in April. It is strongly recommended that all applicants, new and returning, attend one of the workshops. More workshop information and registration can be found on the CFSC Grant Program website.

Sierra Nevada Conservancy
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES NEWSLETTER
April – May 2017

Recently Updated: The Riparian and Wetland Grant Research memo was recently updated. It provides funding sources for stream, wetland, and meadow restoration projects. Grant research memos are available on the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) Other Funding Opportunities web page.

Upcoming Grants that Might be of Interest:
• The North Face Explore Fund (due April 5) makes grants to nonprofit organizations that provide their participants with meaningful outdoor experiences, specifically those which instill an enduring appreciation of the outdoors, promote positive personal or societal change, or demonstrate environmental stewardship principles and practices.
• The Walmart/National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Acres for America program (pre-proposals due April 13) conserves important large-scale habitats for fish, wildlife, and plants through land acquisitions and perpetual conservation easements.
• Patagonia Foundation Environmental Grants (due April 30) support small, grassroots, activist organizations with provocative direct-action agendas, working on multi-pronged campaigns to preserve and protect the environment.
• Every Day Capacity Building Grants (due May 2) are exclusively for ‘Friends of…’ groups to help build their organizational capacity to serve public lands.
• National Endowment for the Arts Art Works Creativity Connects Grants (due May 4) support collaborative, mutually beneficial partnerships between the arts and non-arts sectors, including agriculture, community development, and the environment.
• California Fire Safe Council Wildfire Prevention Grants (due May 12) provide funding for hazardous fuel reduction and maintenance projects on non-federal lands, Community Wildfire Protection Plans, and education and outreach activities.
• The Federal Lands Access Program (due May 12) develops transportation and infrastructure projects (roads, parking, bike trails, etc.) that provide access to federal public lands, particularly those with high recreation use. Note change in due date.
• The Pacific Gas and Electric Company Resilient Communities Grant Program (due May 12) supports local climate resilience initiatives that will build healthy and resilient forests and watersheds to help communities prevent and prepare for increasing wildfire risk.
• The Native American Language Preservation and Maintenance-Esther Martinez Immersion Grant (due May 22) funds community-based projects for Native American language preservation and maintenance. It is open to both federally-recognized and non-federally recognized tribes.
• The National Park Service Rivers and Trails Conservation Grant (June 30) provides facilitation and planning assistance for parks, trails, and outdoor recreation projects.
• The Outdoor Environmental Education Facilities Grant Program (due September 1) supports the development of outdoor environmental education facilities, such as public outdoor structures and exhibits.

Your SNC Area Representative can help you set up an individual consultation with the SNC Funding Team to get advice about specific funding opportunities or general fund development strategies. To take advantage of this resource, contact your Area Representative.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.— In 2016 alone, more than 5,700 wildfires burned across the state of California according to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. And despite record rain this winter, climate change is expected to increase the number of large wildfires as well as the length of the wildfire season in California. To help Californian communities meet this challenge, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) launched its Better Together Resilient Communities grant program today.

Through the program, PG&E will invest $1 million over five years – or $200,000 per year – in shareholder-funded grants to help communities better prepare for, withstand, and recover from extreme events and other risks related to climate change. This year, the company is calling for proposals that will build healthy and resilient forests and watersheds to help communities prevent and prepare for increasing wildfire risk.

“At PG&E, we believe adapting to the reality of climate change must include helping our communities to become more resilient to its many potential effects, such as the risk of wildfires. One way to do that is to work closely with our local partners, as well as those at the state and federal level, to support the best and most innovative ideas — with a particular focus on those who live in highly vulnerable areas,” said Geisha Williams, CEO and President of PG&E Corporation.

PG&E will award two grants of $100,000 through a competitive process. A panel of community and sustainability leaders, including the League of California Cities and members of PG&E’s Sustainability Advisory Council will play an advisory role with the program.

Strategies and solutions resulting from the grants will be made publicly available to help all communities, and encourage local and regional partnerships.

“Climate change is having extreme effects on our planet, and the state of California is facing increasing weather-related risks, including more frequent and more intense wildfires. I applaud PG&E for partnering with vulnerable communities on this science-based climate change resilience initiative. This new grant program will help Californians prepare for a future with more wildfires and other impacts from a changing climate,” said Dr. Jonathan Foley, Executive Director of the California Academy of Sciences and member of PG&E’s Sustainability Advisory Council.

“We’re delighted to see PG&E taking this leadership role in helping protect California’s communities from wildfire.  As we work to ensure a safe, sustainable environment for our firefighters, their families, and our communities, it is essential to gain a better understanding of how to reduce the risks climate change and wildfires pose to lives and property,” said Lou Paulson, President, California Professional Firefighters.

“Extreme weather and climate change are threatening the safety of communities across central and northern California. With wildfire and other risks increasing to historic levels, we must generate innovative, collaborative solutions to succeed. We applaud PG&E for offering a program that focuses on these risks and encourages the collaboration needed to keep our communities safe now and in the years to come,” said Tom Trott, general manager of Twain Harte Community Services District.

Grant Criteria and Eligibility

Grant proposals will be assessed according to the following criteria:

• Partnerships: the extent to which the proposal reflects a collaborative effort among multiple organizations

• Replicability: the extent to which the proposal identifies how others can learn from and adopt the resulting strategies and solutions

• Assistance to disadvantaged communities: the extent to which the proposal addresses the identified needs of disadvantaged communities

• Measurable impact: the extent to which the proposal includes practical, measurable and innovative ways to address community needs and climate risks

To be eligible, applicants must be a governmental organization, educational institution or 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. All applicants must include a local government within PG&E’s service area as a partner.

Learn more about the grants and how to apply at pge.com/resiliencegrants.