Program Intent
CAL FIRE’s Forest Health Program funds active restoration and reforestation activities aimed at providing for more resilient and sustained forests to ensure future existence of forests in California while also mitigating climate change, protecting communities from fire risk, strengthening rural economies and improving California’s water & air.
Through grants to regionally-based partners and collaboratives, CAL FIRE seeks to significantly increase fuels management, fire reintroduction, treatment of degraded areas, and conservation of forests.
Project Activities
Project activities funded by CAL FIRE's Forest Health Grant Program may include:
Forest fuels reduction
Prescribed fire
Pest management
Reforestation
Biomass utilization
Conservation easements and/or land acquisition through the Forest Legacy Program
Research through the Forest Research Program
Eligible applicants include:
Local, state, and federal agencies including federal land management agencies;
Universities;
Special districts;
Native American tribes;
Private forest landowners; and
Non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations (e.g., fire safe councils, land trusts.)
Forest Health projects must further the regulatory goals of the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006.
Applicants will be required to include a quantitative estimate of the net GHG benefit in terms of metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per the Forest Health Quantification Methodology (QM) and Calculator Tool. Some activities, such as planning, research, or education, may not have a measurable GHG emissions benefit. In this case, applicants must provide a justifiable qualitative description of how the activity will ultimately result in emissions reductions, further quantitative assessment of GHG impacts, or improve management actions or policy.
Forest Health projects must focus on large, landscape-scale forestlands composed of one or more landowners, which may cover multiple jurisdictions. Large landscapes will usually include watersheds, firesheds, or larger logical management units. The total project area should aim to be no less than 800 acres in size; landscape units do not have to be contiguous.
Eligible Forest Health projects must be large capacity, landscape-scale, with multiple benefits. The minimum grant amount requested for management activity projects should be no less than $750,000, with a maximum allowable request of $5 million.
Projects awarded with funding from the 2020/2021 fiscal year must be able to complete grant-related work by March 31, 2025.
Preference is given to projects that have environmental compliance (CEQA, NEPA, etc.) completed before the project application is submitted. Applicants must agree to complete all needed environmental compliance work within one year of award and must demonstrate progress toward completing the work within six months of award.