2023 Strategic Land Conservation Directed Grant Program

Purpose

This grant program supports planning and implementation of land conservation through fee title or conservation easement acquisition projects to provide access for public use or to public lands, and protect lands threatened by conversion, unique cultural or natural areas, or lands providing critical resilience to climate change.

Description

The Sierra Nevada Conservancy recognizes land conservation as an important tool for achieving holistic watershed health. The Strategic Lands Conserved goal in the SNC’s Strategic Plan focuses on protection of high-risk and/or high-priority lands. These lands provide a range of benefits including working landscapes; recreation opportunities; and protection of unique cultural and natural areas, as well as key wildlife habitat. The regional goal of this grant program aims to permanently protect high-benefit lands that are threatened with conversion, represent unique natural characteristics, or are critical for resilience to climate change. Acquisitions should aim to protect, restore, or create one or more of the priorities provided in the following list: Important natural lands and expand connectivity and potential for adaptation to climate change. Climate resilience by protecting and stewarding key landscapes that store carbon, improve water availability, and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire. Protect and steward water resources, including watersheds, riparian areas, wetlands, and headwaters Unique cultural and/or natural areas. Land of special significance to a Native American tribe. Working landscapes including farms, ranches, and forests to help local economies Access to public lands and recreation opportunities. The SNC may make grants to eligible partners to acquire an interest in real property, fee interest or less than fee interest, from willing sellers only. Although the SNC is prohibited by statute (PRC 33347) from purchasing real property outright, it can fund fee title acquisition by other eligible entities. The current grant cycle will be administered as an expedited cycle, modified from the process outlined in the current Grant Guidelines. These modifications are: Allowing the applicant to submit one proposal rather than a concept proposal and full proposal, site visits for implementation projects would not be required but still may take place if necessary to validate the project, and appraisals would not be required at time of application, though any grant awards would be made contingent upon recent appraisals approved by the Department of General Services. To be eligible to receive a grant award from the SNC under this program, projects must meet all the following criteria: Be located within the Sierra Nevada Conservancy Region. Be consistent with the SNC mission and program areas as defined in the SNC Strategic Plan and the Sierra Nevada Watershed Improvement Program (WIP). Result in a clear, demonstrable, and enduring public benefit. Engage willing sellers only. Be consistent with applicable city or county General Plan. This program supports planning projects and implementation projects. Each project proposal must identify whether it is a planning or implementation project; the project types may not be combined. Application Process: Projects must be developed in collaboration with SNC. Contact your SNC Area Representative to discuss project ideas. Applicants will submit a Project Proposal by March 20, 2023. The first expected grant award will be in June 2023. To apply, please review the grant program guidelines.