The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is seeking applications for the California Inflation Reduction Act Grants to increase the long-term benefits trees provide, improve the public’s understanding and appreciation of urban trees, and advance urban forest management and tree care.
Donor Name: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)
State: California
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 05/30/2024
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Urban forests provide greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions while providing increased climate resilience; reducing the impacts of extreme heat; increasing energy conservation; reducing storm-water runoff; extending the life of surface streets; improving local air, soil, and water quality; providing high-quality jobs and improving public health. The mission of the CAL FIRE Urban & Community Forestry Program is to advance the development of sustainable and accessible urban and community forests in California. CAL FIRE envisions urban and community forests that are healthy, extensive, and well-managed, providing a wide array of optimal benefits to all Californians. Under the authority of the California Urban Forestry Act of 1978, CAL FIRE’s Urban & Community Forestry Program is responsible for leading the effort to advance the development of sustainable urban and community forests in California through technical assistance, grant administration, and resource and partnership development. This is accomplished through expanding and improving the planting and management of trees and associated vegetation in communities throughout California, with a strong emphasis on disadvantaged and low-income communities. CAL FIRE’s Urban & Community Forestry Program directly assists these communities with grants and hands-on scientific and technical assistance to achieve more equity in tree canopy distribution.
Special consideration is given to projects serving disadvantaged and/or low-income communities.
Grant Types
- Urban Forest Expansion and Improvement
- The purpose of this grant type is to provide funding for projects that will plant trees and vegetation to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve the functionality of urban forests, arrest the decline of urban forest resources, address climate resilience, reduce urban heat, improve the quality of the environment in urban areas, and optimize co-benefits to urban residents. These projects should focus on urban areas lacking in green space and must meet one or more identified community needs using vegetation. Trees and other funded vegetation must be maintained alive for the duration of their expected life span. Such projects may include planting on private property, parks, and public right-of-way. Projects with higher levels of co-benefits will be preferred. Projects focusing on establishing a long-term tree nursery to increase the availability of seedlings for urban forestry plantings may be eligible; special consideration should be given to climate-ready tree species.
- Urban Forest Management Activities
- The purpose of this grant type is to fund the development and implementation of urban forest management activities carried out by a local government jurisdiction to optimize the multiple benefits of its urban forest. Such activities will be comprehensive, long term, include the entire jurisdiction, take an ecosystem management approach, and may include an inventory, analysis, training, and/or educational component. A tree planting component is recommended during the grant performance period, but it is not required. Any management plan funded by this grant type must include the setting of a tree canopy cover goal for the jurisdiction. No other practices may be funded by this grant program.
- Urban Forestry Education and Workforce Development
- The purpose of this grant type is to fund the development and implementation of programs to educate, train, and/or employ the next generation of urban foresters. Projects must provide knowledge, skills, abilities and/or pathways to certifications to assist people in making a career in urban forestry or a related discipline. Projects should provide clear goals and objectives and state how the project will meet an identified community need for urban forestry workforce development. Projects should teach industry best management practices that include, but are not limited to, American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards relating to urban forestry practice and safety, International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) best management practices, and principles of urban forestry as taught at Society of American Foresters (SAF) accredited community colleges and universities. Additionally, projects are highly encouraged to integrate social emotional learning skills and competencies (i.e. emotional management, teamwork, problemsolving, etc.) into projects and/or workforce development curriculum that teaches both professional skills (i.e. communication, punctuality, analyzing decision-making, reliability, etc.) and occupational industry skills (i.e. tree planting, nursery management, tree pruning and maintenance, etc.). There should be a clear emphasis on serving residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and/or unemployed individuals, thus funding for program participants is specifically allowed as a cost. A tree planting and maintenance component of the project is recommended, but not required. This can include the long-term development or expansion of new or emerging tree nurseries seeking to grow locally sourced, climate-ready, culturally significant, native, and/or endemic tree species according to best management practices and industry standards, based on identified regional needs. There should be a strong plan in place for planting trees in disadvantaged communities once they meet quality standards. This grant type can also support urban wood utilization workforce development.
- Urban Forestry Regional or Statewide Impact
- The purpose of this grant type is to fund the improvement, expansion, and coordination of urban forestry programs throughout a large geographic area or at a statewide level. An established organization will serve as a convener to complementary initiatives, and/or a champion for engaging underserved areas and populations. Organizations must employ multiple strategies and corresponding actions.
- Urban Forest Equity Capacity Building
- The purpose of this grant type is to provide technical expertise, assistance, grant writing capacity and/or grant reporting support to eligible entities with project needs in disadvantaged and/or low-income urban communities that may not have that capacity in-house. Established entities can apply to this grant type to serve as a supporter for local champions, a mentor or incubator to assist small, emerging, or new organizations or community-based groups, or to support one or more external or partner entities in securing project implementation funds, reporting on grant activities and/or providing arboriculture or urban and community forestry expertise needed to implement place-based projects in disadvantaged communities. Sub-awards can support smaller, community-based organizations in local projects defined under the Urban Forest Expansion and Improvement, Urban Forest Workforce Development, and Green Schoolyards Grant Type.
- Green Schoolyards
- The purpose of this grant type is to create green schoolyards to protect the health, well-being, and educational opportunity of children most vulnerable to increasing temperatures and extreme heat across California. Projects shall be centered around improving the environmental conditions and experiences for school children with the highest levels of co-benefits and all projects and project activities shall be connected to tree cover and nature-based activities. Projects will invest in nature-based climate solutions that deliver multiple benefits such as helping to alleviate extreme heat, improving the immediate environment for students as well as supporting outdoor learning and environmental literacy, while also reducing GHG emissions, improving functionality of urban forests, arresting the decline of urban forest resources, increasing climate change resilience, improving the quality of the environment in urban areas, and optimizing co-benefits to school children and surrounding urban residents.
Funding Information
- Urban Forest Expansion and Improvement: $150,000 – $1,500,000.
- Urban Forest Management Activities; $150,000 – $1,500,000.
- Urban Forestry Education and Workforce Development: $150,000 – $1,500,000.
- Urban Forestry Regional or Statewide Impact: $150,000 – $3,000,000.
- Urban Forest Equity Capacity Building: $150,000 – $1,500,000.
- Green Schoolyards: $150,000 – $1,500,000.
Eligible Lands
Eligible applicants may apply for funding for a project to be conducted on non-Federal lands such as:
- State and local government
- Homeowner associations
- Private lands, and
- Tribal native corporation (includes Trust lands).
Eligible Applicants
- Urban Forest Expansion and Improvement
- Eligible applicants include California cities, counties, qualifying districts, Federally Recognized Tribal Nations, Tribal affiliated nonprofits, and/or nonprofit organizations qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Districts include, but are not limited to, school, park, recreation, water, and local taxing districts.
- Urban Forest Management Activities
- Eligible applicants include cities, counties, qualifying districts, and federally recognized Tribal Nations. Districts include, but are not limited to, school, park, recreation, water, and local taxing districts. Nonprofit organizations are not eligible for this grant type but may be partners in such projects.
- Urban Forestry Education and Workforce Development
- Eligible applicants include California cities, counties, qualifying districts, Federally Recognized Tribal Nations, Tribal affiliated nonprofits, and/or nonprofit organizations qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Districts include, but are not limited to, school, park, recreation, water, and local taxing districts.
- Urban Forestry Regional or Statewide Impact
- Eligible applicants include California cities, counties, qualifying districts, Federally Recognized Tribal Nations, Tribal affiliated nonprofits, and/or nonprofit organizations qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Districts include, but are not limited to, school, park, recreation, water, and local taxing districts.
- Urban Forest Equity Capacity Building
- Eligible applicants include California cities, counties, qualifying districts, Federally Recognized Tribal Nations, Tribal affiliated nonprofits, and/or nonprofit organizations qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Districts include, but are not limited to, school, park, recreation, water, and local taxing districts.
- Green Schoolyards
- Eligible applicants include California cities, counties, qualifying districts, including but not limited to school, park, recreation, water, and local taxing districts, Federally Recognized Tribal Nations, Tribal affiliated nonprofit organizations qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, non-profit childcare facilities receiving government funding, and/or nonprofit organizations qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
For more information, visit CAL FIRE.
