Baldwin Hills & Urban Watersheds Conservancy (BH UWC) Proposition 4: Community and Climate Resilience Grant Program

Purpose

The Baldwin Hills & Urban Watersheds Conservancy Proposition 4: Community and Climate Resilience Grant Program aim to award projects and programs that protect biodiversity; restore watershed function; and expand equitable access to parks and open space.

Description

The Climate Bond, Proposition 4: the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024 (Senate Bill (SB) 867), was approved by voters in November 2024. It added Division 50 (Commencing with Section 80000) to the Public Resources Code (PRC). Section 93020 (a)(1) of Chapter 6: Protect Biodiversity and Accelerating Nature-Based Climate Solutions authorizes the Legislature to appropriate $48,000,000 (forty-eight million dollars) to the Baldwin Hills & Urban Watersheds Conservancy (Conservancy) for projects and programs that reduce the risks of climate change impacts upon communities, fish and wildlife, and natural resources, and increase public access. Grant funds shall be awarded to projects and programs that: Produce direct, measurable, and non-speculative benefits; Improve climate resilience for Disadvantaged Communities (DACs), Severely Disadvantaged Communities (SDACs), Tribes, or vulnerable populations; Avoid creating burdens or harms to any vulnerable community; Demonstrate community engagement, co-design, or community-identified need; and/or Provide benefits reasonably proportional to the project’s scale and cost. The Conservancy shall ensure that Proposition 4 investments provide meaningful and direct benefits to Vulnerable Populations, DACs, SDACs, and Native American Tribes. These requirements implement the California Natural Resources Agency’s Meaningful and Direct Benefits Assessment Framework and ensure that climate-resilience investments advance equity, reduce climate burdens, and strengthen community capacity to adapt to climate impacts. The Conservancy will utilize the BH UWC Community and Climate Resilience Framework to evaluate proposal applications for their ability to advance one or more of the Conservancy’s eight Community and Climate Resilience Goals: Empower Safe and Resilient Communities Increase Access to Parks and Open Spaces Protect and Manage Water Resources Increase Biodiversity Advance Urban Forest Health Remediate Degraded Lands Mitigate Impacts from Extreme Heat Prevent Wildfire These goals ensure that Proposition 4 investments advance the Conservancy’s statutory mission and deliver direct, measurable, and equitable benefits to communities experiencing persistent underinvestment. Applications will be submitted in two phases: a Concept Proposal and a Full Application. It is strongly recommended that prospective applicants contact BH UWC staff and attend a grant workshop for a consultation prior to submitting a Concept Proposal.