CAL FIRE Funding Grants Available for 2024
CAL FIRE Funding Grants Available
- Wildfire Prevention: CAL FIRE’s Wildfire Prevention Grant Program will award up to $117 million to local projects that address the risk of wildfire and reduce wildfire potential to communities. Applications are due January 10, 2024.
- Forest Health: CAL FIRE’s Forest Health Program will fund up to $120 million forest fuels reduction, prescribed fire, pest management and reforestation projects and $50 million post-fire reforestation and regeneration projects. View the virtual workshop. Applications are due January 15, 2024.
- Forest Health Research: CAL FIRE’s Forest Health Research Grant Program will award $4.5 million for scientific research projects that address wildfire and forest health issues critical to the State of California. Concept proposals are due January 24, 2024.
- Business and Workforce Development: CAL FIRE Wood Products and Bioenergy expects to open a solicitation for a new round of funding on January 15, 2024.
CAL FIRE Invests $15M in California’s Wood Products Infrastructure
CAL FIRE Invests $15M in California’s Wood Products Infrastructure
On December 7, CAL FIRE announced the Wood Products and Bioenergy Program awarded 16 projects focused on expanding workforce development and growing the businesses involved in creating healthy, resilient forests across the state as outlined in California’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan. The awards support private businesses, non-profits, schools, and Tribes.
Newsom Administration and Natural Resources Agency Launch Plan for Increasing Access to the Outdoors
Newsom Administration and Natural Resources Agency Launch Plan for Increasing Access to the Outdoors
On November 15, CNRA announced the release of the Outdoors for All Strategy which provides a blueprint to increase access to the outdoors for all Californians. Increasing access to nature is vital step to create connection and understanding of California’s most pressing climate resilience issues. The Strategy includes six key priorities:
- Establishes spaces for people and nature to thrive by creating and maintaining more high-quality outdoor spaces of all shapes and sizes, especially in park-limited places;
- Fosters belonging in the outdoors through policies and programs that build a welcoming and inclusive culture;
- Connects people and the outdoors by improving information and transportation;
- Co-creates with communities through frequent and meaningful tribal consultation and community engagement, with attention to underserved communities;
- Builds equitable career pathways and a representative workforce by improving opportunities for all Californians to enter and sustain outdoor recreation, natural resources and restoration professions;
- Aligns funding to achieve Outdoors for All in partnership with federal, state, and non-governmental entities.
DOI Invests Over $12 Million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
DOI Invests Over $12 Million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Advance Wildfire Resilience in California
On November 30, the Department of the Interior announced that it has invested over $12.2 million in fiscal year 2023 from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to advance wildfire resilience work and support fuels management projects on 27,669 acres in California. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is bringing much-needed help to communities across the country to increase the resilience of lands facing the threat of wildland fires and to better support federal wildland firefighters.
American Forests Partners with USDA Forest Service
American Forests Partners with USDA Forest Service to Expand Reforestation Across National Forests
On December 6, American Forests announced a $20 million agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service to help the agency address a 4-million-acre backlog of burned, damaged forests nationally over the next five years. Over 40% of the 4 million acres identified for reforestation are in California. Built on the foundation of the REPLANT Act, this will expand nursery production, grow the forestry workforce and increase seed collection capabilities. Together, the Forest Service and American Forests will use landscape-level planning and climate-informed restoration practices to advance goals identified in the agency’s National Forest System Reforestation Strategy.
CA Fire Science Consortium Conducting Land and Fire Management Needs Assessment
CA Fire Science Consortium Conducting Land and Fire Management Needs Assessment
The California Fire Science Consortium is leading a survey to gain an updated understanding of needs around knowledge exchange, information sources, and scientific research. All are welcome, from those working in fire as well as those in non-fire roles, to complete the survey to help inform science delivery and regional knowledge exchange within California. The survey will be open until January 1, 2024.
RESOURCES
Joint Economic Committee Democrats Report on Cost of Climate-Exacerbated Wildfires
Joint Economic Committee Democrats Report on Cost of Climate-Exacerbated Wildfires
A new report from U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee found that climate-exacerbated wildfires cost the United States between $394 to $893 billion per year in economic costs and damages – a number much higher than existing estimates. The new estimate pulls from existing research on related costs like property damage and diminished real estate value, direct deaths and injuries, health impacts from wildfire smoke, income loss, watershed pollution, and a range of other factors.
$287 Million Available in CAL FIRE Grants for Wildfire Prevention and Forest Health
$287 Million Available in CAL FIRE Grants for Wildfire Prevention and Forest Health
$117 million will be allocated through CAL FIRE’s Wildfire Prevention Grant Program. Awarded projects will address the risk of wildfire and reduce wildfire potential to communities. Funded activities will include hazardous fuel reduction, wildfire prevention planning, and wildfire prevention education with an emphasis on protecting communities, improving public health and safety, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. CAL FIRE also conducted a virtual workshop (watch it here) to explain the grant process and requirements. Applications are due January 10, 2024.
$120 million for Forest Health and $50 million for Post-Fire Reforestation and Regeneration projects are open for the solicitation through CAL FIRE’s Forest Health Program. Projects are intended to proactively prevent catastrophic wildfires and restore forests to healthy, functioning ecosystems while also sequestering carbon and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Applications are due January 15, 2024.
30x30 Becomes Law
30x30 Becomes Law
On October 7 Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 337, establishing the statewide goal to conserve at least 30 percent of California’s land and coastal waters by 2030 (30×30). This legislation establishes the goal in statute, ensuring that it will remain a commitment for future administrations through 2030. The three primary objectives of 30×30 are to conserve and restore biodiversity, expand access to nature, and mitigate and build resilience to climate change. Accomplishing these objectives will assist the Task Force in ongoing efforts to improve forest health to manage the risk of wildfire.
The Watershed Center Partners to Build CA’s Wildfire Resilience Workforce
The Watershed Center Partners to Build CA’s Wildfire Resilience Workforce
Increased workforce training is critical to meeting the goals of the Task Force. To boost that effort, The Watershed Research and Training Center (The Watershed Center) is launching a new kind of workforce development effort, specifically tailored to Corpsmembers of Local Conservation Corps across California. The Watershed Center piloted this approach from January 2022 to August 2023 with Conservation Corps North Bay, using funds from the California Department of Conservation’s (DOC) Regional Forest and Fire Capacity (RFFC) Program. Now, thanks to continued RFFC funding and also a grant from CAL FIRE’s Workforce Development grant program, the Watershed Center is scaling up the effort.