New Climate Funding Opportunity for California Local Governments

Filed under: ICLEI

On behalf of the Strategic Growth Council, the Natural Resources Agency will be administering a competitive grant program for urban greening projects and plans

ICLEI USA
Feb. 25, 2010
By Wesley Look, ICLEI Regional Officer

California local governments: A new grant opportunity can help fund your climate and sustainability efforts. This is a grant opportunity for urban communities, focused on projects and plans that reduce energy consumption & greenhouse gas emissions, conserve water, improve air and water quality, increase adaptability to climate change, and improve community quality of life. There are two parallel grant programs:

Urban Greening PROJECTS Grant Program
Urban Greening PLANNING Grant Program

Application deadline (both programs): Friday, April 30, 2010, at 5 p.m.

Join an Upcoming Workshop

Workshops will be conducted by the Natural Resources Agency over the next week to provide technical assistance in preparing grant applications and vetting project proposals as to eligibility and competiveness.

small green arrow icon For more information on workshops and to see the formal solicitation, go here.

Urban Greening PROJECTS Grant Program

Focus:
To provide funds to preserve, enhance, increase or establish community green areas such as urban forests, open spaces, wetlands and community spaces (e.g., community gardens). The goal is for these greening projects to incrementally create more viable and sustainable communities throughout the state.

Eligibility:

Some portion of the project must be located in an urban area (see Program guidelines for definition of “urban area”).
Cities, Counties and Nonprofits are eligible to apply.
Priority consideration will be given to:
1. Disadvantaged communities
2. Projects that maximize interagency cooperation
3. Projects that use existing public lands and properties

Funding Details:

The Council is currently planning three funding cycles
No minimum or maximum amount of grants
Subject to legislative appropriation and future bond sales, up to $15.1 million will be available for urban greening projects

small green arrow icon To view the formal Guidelines and Application Instructions for the Urban Greening Projects Grant Program, go here.

Urban Greening PLANNING Grant Program

Focus:
To provide funds to assist entities in developing a master urban greening plan that will ultimately result in projects to help the State meet its environmental goals and the creation of healthy communities. The plan must be consistent with the State's planning policies and any applicable general or regional plan. The plan must outline or layout projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide multiple benefits including, but not limited to, decreasing air and water pollution, reducing the consumption of natural resources and energy, increasing the reliability of local water supplies, or increasing adaptability to climate change.

Eligibility:

Urban Greening plans must serve as the master document guiding and coordinating greening projects in an urban area (see Program guidelines for definition of “urban area”), etc.
Council of governments, countywide authorities, metropolitan planning organizations, local government (cities, counties, local joint powers authorities, special districts), and nonprofits are eligible to apply.
Priority consideration will be given to:
- Communities that are more vulnerable to climate change
- Disadvantaged communities

Funding Details:

Requests for funding are limited to a maximum of $250,000. (Larger grant awards may be considered for organizations that work together to develop joint planning documents that cover all jurisdictions involved.)
The Strategic Growth Council is currently planning three funding cycles.
Subject to legislative appropriation and future bond sales, up to $5.8 million will be available for urban greening plans.

small green arrow icon To view the formal Guidelines and Application Instructions for the Urban Greening PLANNING Grant Program, go here.

All inquiries can be directed to:

Urban Greening for Sustainable Communities Program
c/o The California Natural Resources Agency
Attn: Bonds and Grants Unit
1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1311
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 653-2812
Email: UrbanGreening@resources.ca.gov
Fax: (916) 653-8102

>> View a Full Suite of Related Documents

Coming Soon: Sustainable Communities Planning Grant and Incentive Program

The Strategic Growth Council (SGC) will also soon be issuing the Sustainable Communities Planning Grant and Incentive Program, which is designed to help local governments meet the challenges of adopting land use plans and integrating strategies in order to transform communities and create long term prosperity. Sustainable communities shall promote equity, strengthen the economy, protect the environment and promote healthy, safe communities.

Cities, counties, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), Joint Powers Authorities (JPAs), Regional Transportation Planning Agencies (RTPAs), Councils of Governments (COGs), or combination thereof, are eligible to apply.
Approximately $60,000,000 in State funds is available for awards, which will be distributed over three cycles beginning Fiscal Year 2010/11.
It is anticipated that Proposals funded under this solicitation will be not less than $100,000 nor greater than $1,000,000 each; however the SGC may consider higher grant awards for a joint proposal, submitted by eligible applicants for two or more adjoining entities, that are cooperative, scale appropriate and reflects the interdependence of environmental, economic community health, and other requirements.

The primary goal of this grant program is to develop and implement plans that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve the following objectives: