Land Conservation and Stewardship
Grant Program

No funding available in 2024.
This page reflects the last active grant round.

This program supports conservation and stewardship of natural and working lands throughout California’s Sierra-Cascade region, including projects for both fee title and conservation easement acquisition, and ongoing stewardship of these lands.

The program’s goal is to permanently protect and manage high-benefit lands in the Sierra-Cascade that may be threatened by development or degradation.

Grant Guidelines (pdf)

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Eligibility

Eligible applicants:

  • public agencies, including federal agencies
  • qualifying 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations
  • tribal entities recognized on the current United States Federal Register or the Native American Heritage Commission as a California Native American tribe

Eligible projects:

  • are located within, or provide services to, California’s Sierra-Cascade region
  • are consistent with the goals of this program, defined in the grant guidelines (pdf)
  • result in a clear, demonstrable, and enduring public benefit
  • engage willing sellers only
  • are consistent with applicable city or county General Plan

Example Projects

  • Completion of a property or easement fair market value appraisal
  • Analysis required to support complete California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documentation
  • Preparation of management plans
  • Fee title/easement acquisitions which facilitate access to public lands
  • Fee title/easement acquisitions of forested property to manage for greenhouse gas emission reductions
  • Fee title/easement acquisitions to protect areas of cultural importance to Native Americans
  • Fee title/easement acquisitions to protect working lands from detrimental land use changes
  • Fee title/easement acquisitions to protect and improve water supply/quality, wildlife habitat, or wildfire resilience