RFFC Statewide Partners

Watershed Research and Training Center (WRTC)

Location: Statewide

Total Dollars Awarded: $14,300,000

WRTC's RFFC grant focuses on technical capacity building, peer networking to advance the dissemination of best practices, and coordination.

This funding will allow the Watershed Center to continue their statewide RFFC work with the primary goals of:

Increasing California wildfire resilience practitioners’ capacity to advance the state’s forest and fire strategies increases.
Increasing access to professional development opportunities regarding a broad range of wildfire resilience career paths. Long term, the wildfire resilience workforce is more diversified.
Advance one or more wildfire mitigation demonstration projects that benefit underserved communities through collaboration.
Improving communication between RFFC grantees and provide technical assistance as needed.
Assisting with California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force strategies and plans. Including facilitating the FAC work group of the Task Force and, working with CALFIRE, Task Force staff, and other state agency representatives to monitor and advance work outlined in the Forest Action Plan Goal 2
Evaluating the impact and/or progress of the RFFC program on grantees, subgrantees, and California practitioners participating in Peer Connect
Identifying and advance enabling policies and/or authorities and strategies as well as barriers to wildfire resilience and forest stewardship implementation.

thewatershedcenter.com

California Fire Safe Council (CFSC)

Location: Statewide

Total Dollars Awarded: $1,615,000 (Round 1 Grantee)

CFSC’s grant focuses on providing technical assistance to existing local fire safe councils, helping start new fire safe councils, and providing resources for fire safe councils and their partners. The grant is funding regional coordinators who provide technical assistance to fire safe councils and communities that are interested in starting fire safe councils.

This funding has allowed CFSC to conduct collaborative planning, organizational capacity building, and partnership development to implement high-impact, sustainable projects and initiatives to enhance resilience across the state. They have deployed peer-networking strategies across watersheds and regions to ensure that innovations and best practices are rapidly diffused and adopted.
cafiresafecouncil.org

Indigenous Stewardship Network

Location: Statewide
Total Dollars Awarded: $4,553,763

The purpose of the grant is to grow greater capacity to restore Indigenous-led cultural burning, and other Indigenous stewardship practices to improve biodiversity, ecosystem resilience, and community-health and well-being.

Primary project goals and activities include:

Building ISN staff and internal capacities to support an Indigenous network, knowledge exchanges, and trainings.
Providing direct funding to tribes, Native-led non-profits, and traditional cultural practitioners to grow cultural burning in the State of California.
Conducting education and outreach and engage partners (funders, agencies, non-profits, etc.) to improve opportunities (access and funding) for Indigenous-led stewardship.

Visit the Indigenous Stewardship Network to Learn More

The Karuk Tribe

Location: Statewide
Total Dollars Awarded: $1,198,522

The Karuk tribe is in the process of developing a facility that will sever as a training center and fill other critical need. Taayvávan Iptáamax, which means “many people stoke the fire,” will be a multipurpose facility used as a Prescribed Fire Training Center while also serving critical support functions in times of emergency. Alongside the building of Taayvávan Iptáamax, KDNR will need to expand its current infrastructure and facilities in order to keep up with the increasing volume of projects, a growing workforce, and climate resiliency needs.

To bring the Taayvávan Iptáamax project to implementation readiness, the Tribe will use this funding to update KDNR's 2015 Facilities Master Plan, hire consultants to conduct required planning studies; complete formal design processes (including site and building design along with a construction cost estimate), and work to mobilize resources and strengthen partnerships for the eventual construction and operation of the facilities.

Visit The Karuk Tribe to Learn More

Water Solutions Network

Location: Statewide
Total Dollars Awarded: $402,900

This agreement will fund the development and implementation of two forest gatherings on tribal land in San Diego County and Tuolumne County. The gatherings will bring local, tribal, state, and federal entities together to develop an understanding of tribal knowledge, expertise, and connection that Tribes have with their land. The gatherings will also showcase the importance of strong networks and collaborations and build trust and understanding between local, tribal, state, and federal agencies.

Check out these videos to learn more