2026 Wildfire and Forest Resilience Directed Grant Program

Purpose

This grant program is focused on high-impact forest-health projects that deliver strong, direct benefits to communities, critical infrastructure, or unique natural resources. Examples include constructing or improving fuelbreaks, protecting water supplies, improving safety along ingress/egress routes, and protecting hospitals, schools, giant sequoias, and other high-value resources and assets.

Description

This Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) Grant Program (Program) responds to recent legislation and executive orders addressing California’s wildfire crisis. In November of 2024, California voters approved Proposition 4, the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024, commonly known as the “Climate Bond.” In April 2025, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 100 (Gabriel), which allocates $30.9 million from the 2024 Climate Bond to the SNC for the purposes of wildfire prevention and forest resilience, including improving local fire prevention capacity, improving forest health and resilience, and reducing the risk of wildfire spreading into populated areas from wildlands. This Program seeks to create more resilient forest landscapes and watersheds and reduce wildfire risk. The climate and ecological benefits of forest-restoration treatments are well known. Ecologically sound forest management, including beneficial fire, and community protection are critical in securing the overall well-being of the Sierra-Cascade. To be eligible to receive a grant award from the SNC under this Program, projects must meet all of the following criteria: Result in a clear, demonstrable, and enduring public benefit; be located within the Sierra-Cascade as defined by current SNC governing legislation; must align with one of the Program priorities identified in the guidelines; be consistent with the SNC mission and program areas as defined in the SNC Strategic Plan; be consistent with the requirements of the funding source and budget provisions; and meet all California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements, as applicable. The SNC proposal process involves concept and full proposal phases. To initiate consideration of a project, an applicant must contact the appropriate SNC Area Representative. If it is determined that the SNC will consider the project, the applicant will receive a concept proposal form and SNC will assist in the development of the project. After concept proposals are submitted, the evaluation team will review them based on the first three evaluation criteria described in the Guidelines. These criteria are: 1) Public and Natural Resource Benefits and Alignment with Funding and Program Goals, 2) Project Design and Budget, and 3) Landscape Context. Based on the funding available, top scoring concept proposals may be invited to submit a full proposal. If it is determined that the SNC will consider partnering on the project, the applicant will be asked to submit a full proposal. The SNC will share the full proposal form with the applicant and assist in developing the project. The SNC may give favorable consideration to projects which: are forest-health projects that result in multiple benefits; involve California Native American tribes; were identified in a collaboratively developed regional plan, such as the Regional Priority Plan; directly benefit SDAC, DAC, or Vulnerable Populations; engage a workforce-development effort; or enable the equitable geographic distribution of SNC resources. Please review the full grant program guidelines.