California distributes over $48 million to protect, restore, and improve coasts and watersheds
What you need to know: The State’s Coastal Conservancy approved grant funding for 22 projects focused on community-based wetland restoration, land acquisitions, coastal access programming, and wildfire resilience.
SACRAMENTO – California, through the Board of the California State Coastal Conservancy, has approved more than $48 million for 22 projects that will protect, restore, and improve public access along the state’s coast and coastal watersheds.
“We’re continuing to invest in our coastline and expand access for Californians, making sure that more folks have better access for decades to come. That includes protecting these areas from the impacts of the climate crisis.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
Funded by the Governor’s multi-billion-dollar California Climate Commitment, the projects include:
- $1,238,120 to Tamien Nation to equip a Native fire crew to steward tribal territory, and implement prescribed fire and fuel reduction work at Henry W. Coe State Park in Santa Clara County.
- $6,600,000 to the San Diego Unified Port District for the construction of Harbor Park, a 25-acre park with a beach, boat launch, and other recreational amenities to expand, improve the resilience of, and replace amenities of Bayside Park on the Chula Vista Bayfront.
- A total of $994,197 to 13 nonprofit organizations and 1 tribe for projects to enhance the public’s opportunities to explore the California coast through the Conservancy’s Explore the Coast program. The programs will engage an estimated 6,100 people from across California, including 5,500 low-income Californians, 5,700 people of color, 1,000 youth who are homeless or in foster care, approximately 650 people for whom English is not their first language, and at least 1,900 people with physical, cognitive, and/or emotional disabilities.
“Coastal Conservancy funding is being put to work to protect and restore the California coast, and to make it more accessible and climate resilient. The projects funded at this meeting, from wildfire resilience to wetland restoration to lower cost coastal accommodation, will help to address the many challenges that face our iconic coastline. We are proud of our nonprofit, tribal, and public agency partners and excited to see these projects being implemented.” – Amy Hutzel, Executive Officer of the State Coastal Conservancy
Click here for the full list of projects throughout the state and more information about the grant programs.