Wildlife Corridor and Fish Passage

Wildlife Conservation Board · State of California

At a glance

Wildlife Corridor and Fish Passage is an open California state grant opportunity from the Wildlife Conservation Board (State of California). Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Total estimated funding is $10M. Applicant types listed as eligible include nonprofit, public agency and tribal government. It is listed on the California Grants Portal. Cost sharing is not required.

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Key facts

Opened: Nov 18, 2024
Close date: Ongoing
Award floor: Not specified
Award ceiling: Not specified
Est. total funding: $10,000,000
Expected awards: Not specified
Matching funds: Not required
Funding instrument: Grant

Program details (as published on the California Grants Portal)

Type: Grant
Funding source: State — Currently there is $5 million of specific funding assigned to this program. Additionally, WCB will consider general funding sources to support this program.
Matching funds: Not Required — Cost share is not required but may be beneficial, in particular to complete a larger project. Applications with higher proportions of secured cost share contribution towards total project cost will score more points through the “Cost Share” application evaluation criterion.
Funding method: Advances & Reimbursement(s)
Estimated number of awards: Dependant on number of submissions received, application process, etc.
Estimated award amounts: Dependant on number of submissions received, application process, etc.
Award period: 2-4 year grant terms
Expected award announcement: Continuous
Letter of intent: Required
Geography: Statewide
How to submit: Online: https://wcb.us-1.smartsimple.com/s_Login.jsp
Latest change note: Updated planned events info URL.

Who can apply

Applicant categories as listed on the California Grants Portal. GrantsJunction maps them to detailed applicant types for search and matching.

Nonprofit
Public Agency
Tribal Government

Can your organization apply?

A quick check against the listed applicant types — other requirements in the notice still apply.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Purpose and description as published on the California Grants Portal.

Purpose

The Program is seeking proposals for planning or implementation projects that construct, repair, modify, or remove transportation infrastructure or water resources infrastructure improving passage for wildlife or fish. Additional consideration will be given for projects that restore or enhance wildlife mobility or fish passage across barriers whose impacts on migration have been increased by drought conditions.

Description

WCB is seeking projects that restore or enhance habitat in wildlife migration corridors or that remove impediments to fish passage. Examples of project types and their priority are identified below. All projectsmust provide for improved fish or wildlife mobility, and further the objectives of Proposition 68. The Program supports the following priorities: Priority 1: -Construction of wildlife overcrossings and undercrossings in areas where wildlife mortality due to traffic interactions imperil a sensitive species. -Restoration or enhancement of natural habitats that provide a visual screen in wildlife corridors for migrating wildlife species that are sensitive to human presence or to direct wildlife away from roadways and toward existing migration corridors. -Removal of instream impediments to fish passage such as weirs, check dams or other water supply and flood control infrastructure. -Installation of fish friendly culverts, fish ladders, bypass channels or other measures that allow migratory fish to go under, around or over passage barriers. -Planning projects that provide designs and environmental review for future restoration projects at sites that are listed on either of CDFW’s 2020 Wildlife Movement Priority Barrier List or 2019 Fish Passage Priority List. Priority 2: -Installation of fencing or other measures that will direct wildlife away from roadways and toward existing migration corridors. -Planning projects that provide designs and environmental review for future wildlife corridor and fish passage restoration projects at sites that are not listed on either of CDFW’s 2020 Wildlife Movement Priority Barrier List or 2019 Fish Passage Priority List.

How to apply

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Read the program guidelinesThe agency's solicitation or guidelines set eligibility details, scoring criteria and required documents. Open ↗
Confirm eligibility and fitCheck your organization type and location (see Geography above).
Submit the letter of intentThis program asks for a letter of intent before the full application; check the guidelines for its due date.
Find out how to submitOnline: https://wcb.us-1.smartsimple.com/s_Login.jsp Open ↗
Request letters of support and partner commitmentsPartners need time to write and sign letters; ask early.
Finish a full draft of the application and budgetFollow the guidelines' format exactly; state programs often require specific forms and attachments.
Ask the program contact any questions earlyDon Crocker · don.crocker@wildlife.ca.gov Open ↗
Internal review and sign-offLeave time for leadership or board approval and a final proofread.
Submit while funds remainSubmit a few days early and keep your submission confirmation.

Past applications & awards

Historical data · not a prediction

Reported by the agency for this listing

Fiscal year 2025–2617 applications · 5 awards
Fiscal year 2024–2512 applications · 4 awards

Counts as published on the California Grants Portal. Award counts can read zero until decisions are announced.

Awards published: 4
Total awarded: $16,574,000
Median award: $2,854,000 calculated
Smallest – largest: $200,000 – $10,666,000

Recipients by type: Public Agency (3), Nonprofit (1)

Areas served: Los Angeles County (1), Contra Costa County (1), Sonoma County (1), Riverside County (1)

Largest awards to organizations

California Department of TransportationState Route 91 B Canyon Wildlife Crossing$10,666,000 · FY 2024–25
Mountains Recreation and Conservation AuthorityI-5 Sierra Madre-Castaic Wildlife Crossing Planning$4,921,000 · FY 2024–25
East Bay Municipal Utility DistrictTomato Stand Fish Passage Implementation$787,000 · FY 2024–25
Sonoma Land TrustSonoma Valley Wildlife Corridor Study$200,000 · FY 2024–25

Source: California Grants Portal grant award data. Awards to individuals are counted but not named. Past awards show who was funded; they do not predict future decisions.

Program contact (as published)

Don Crocker
don.crocker@wildlife.ca.gov
1-916-926-7317

Changes we detected

Oct 14, 2026: Estimated total funding changed from $5,000,000 to $10,000,000

Quick answers

Who is eligible to apply for “Wildlife Corridor and Fish Passage”?

The official listing names these applicant types as eligible: Nonprofit, Public Agency and Tribal Government. Additional restrictions may apply; review the full guidelines.

How much funding is available through “Wildlife Corridor and Fish Passage”?

Per the notice, total estimated program funding is $10,000,000.

How do I apply for “Wildlife Corridor and Fish Passage”?

Applications go directly to Wildlife Conservation Board, not through GrantsJunction. Submission: online at https://wcb.us-1.smartsimple.com/s_Login.jsp. Read the program guidelines on the agency's site first; state programs set their own forms and registration requirements.

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