The Department of Conservation balances today's needs with tomorrow's challenges and fosters intelligent, sustainable, and efficient use of California's energy, land, and mineral resources.
The Regional Forest and Fire Capacity program is designed to bolster regional abilities for developing and implementing projects that enhance forest health and fire resilience while increasing carbon sequestration in California's forests. It aligns with the California Forest Carbon Plan and Executive Order B-52-18 through the utilization of block grants, facilitating regional planning, project development, outreach, and the execution of landscape-level forest health projects. Aiming for widespread and inclusive engagement in planning and decision-making, the program encourages its regional block grantees to forge extensive partnerships across diverse entities including state, federal, tribal, local governments, and various non-profit organizations. This collaboration intends to foster equitable participation in project planning and development, significantly emphasizing capacity building among local partners. Additionally, with an infusion of $50 million in early action funding, the program is set to expand, introducing four new regional grantees and extending additional support to existing grantees to enhance their projects. This initiative is part of the California Natural Resources Agency's broader effort, administered by the Department of Conservation, to address forest health and fire resilience on a statewide scale.