The Department of Conservation offers grants and other funding programs to further California's goals toward beverage container recycling, agricultural land conservation and watershed restoration and management. Below, you'll find an overview of each DOC grant program and links to more information. To learn about other State of California grant programs, type "grants" in the search tool at the top of this page and click on the search key.
Beverage Container Recycling Grants
Through annual competitive grants, the Division of Recycling Statewide Technical Assistance and Resources Branch funds local projects dedicated to increased recycling of aluminum, glass and plastic California Redemption Value (CRV) beverage containers. Typically, there is a specific grant focus each year, such as sporting venues, multi-family housing or education and outreach. Grant proposals are judged based on criteria set forth in each year's Request for Proposals. Up to $1,500,000 may be awarded annually. There are no restrictions on who can apply for the grants. For more information, click here.
City/County Payment Program
Each year, DOC makes a total of $10.5 million available to eligible cities and counties for beverage container recycling and litter cleanup activities. Each eligible city can receive a minimum of $5,000 and each eligible county can receive a minimum of $10,000. DOC provides a funding request form to each city and county which specifies the amount that city or county is eligible to receive. The city or county has 90 days to return the form and claim its payment. For more information, click here.
Market Development and Expansion Grants
Through January 1, 2007, the Division of Recycling Market Research Branch will oversee a grant program to increase recycling rates. The program will encourage the development and expansion of markets for beverage container materials. Up to $10 million may be awarded annually, and both nonprofit and for-profit organizations may apply. For more information, click here.
California Farmland Conservancy Program
Through the California Farmland Conservancy Program, DOC provides agricultural conservation easement grants that are used to compensate landowners who voluntarily sell their land's development rights. The landowner maintains ownership of the property and agrees to keep it in agricultural production. In addition to funding provided for agricultural easement acquisition, up to ten percent of the CFCP grant funds are available for projects which develop policy or planning oriented to agricultural land protection, and for improvements to land already under an agricultural conservation easement (e.g., erosion control, riparian area improvements). Local land trusts, governments, resource conservation districts, non-profit organizations, and regional park or open-space districts that have conservation of farmland among their stated purposes are eligible to apply for CFCP grants. For more information, click here.
Resource Conservation District Assistance Program
Through the Division of Land Resource Protection, the Department of Conservation has in the past provided grants to Resource Conservation Districts for the purpose of assisting RCDs to develop a land stewardship ethic that promotes long-term sustainability of the state’s rich and diverse natural resource heritage. There are 103 RCDs in California, implementing projects on public and private lands and educating landowners and the public about resource conservation. The grant program, with $120,000 available annually in recent years, provided funding to assist RCDs in accomplishing these objectives. The grant program became inactive following grants issued in the 2002/03 Fiscal Year. For more information, click here.
Watershed Coordinator Grants Program
In 2000, the California Legislature approved a two-year $2 million pilot grant program to fund watershed coordinators for Resource Conservation Districts, to be administered by the DOC. Due to the great success of the pilot program, the CALFED Bay Delta Program (CALFED) partnered with DOC to extend the program an additional 18 months. The goal of the current Watershed Coordinator Grant Program is to continue to improve watersheds within the CALFED Solution Area by providing support for coordinating watershed improvement efforts. The CALFED Solution Area includes watersheds that contribute water to or receive water from the Bay-Delta system. Since the importance of the program has become evident, DOC has again teamed up with CALFED to expand the grant program with funding from Proposition 50. The expanded grant program will fund watershed coordinator positions for a three-year period. In addition, the expanded program will be open to non-profit organizations, local governments and special districts. Proposed coordinator positions must demonstrate a direct benefit to the watershed and support the goals and objectives of the CALFED Watershed Program and at least one other CALFED program. For more information, click here.