California Natural Resources Agency Grants $6.5M to Support Cooler Neighborhoods, Cleaner Air, and Thriving Ecosystems

SACRAMENTO- The California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) in coordination with the California Transportation Commission (CTC) today announced over $6.5 million in funding for eight projects in six counties that will help minimize the environmental impacts of constructing roads and highways by restoring habitat, planting trees, and improving local ecosystems.

Through the Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation (EEM) grant program, CNRA provides funding to local, state, and federal agencies as well as Native American Tribes and nonprofit organizations for projects that mitigate environmental impacts produced by new or modified state transportation projects.

"This work reflects a bigger commitment-to build for the future while being good stewards of the land that sustains us," said California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot. "California is showing that we can invest in infrastructure and care for our lands and waters at the same time."

These projects will restore and add more than 2,200 acres to California's 30x30 Initiative, an effort to conserve at least 30 percent of the state's land and coastal waters in their natural state by 2030. Projects will also contribute to California's Nature-Based Solutions Climate Targetsto mitigate and build resilience to climate change.

The awarded projects are as follows:

Alameda County:

• City of Berkeley was awarded $500,000 to plant 1,000 drought tolerant and climate change-resilient trees throughout West Berkeley, Aquatic Park, and the Berkeley Waterfront.

Contra Costa County:

• mak-warép Ohlone Land Conservancy, Inc. was awarded $498,806 to establish Ohlone cultural garden plots at UC Berkeley's Russell Research Station, reconnect the Chochenyo Ohlone community to ancestral lands, and restore habitat using traditional stewardship practices.

Humboldt County:

• Northcoast Regional Land Trust was awarded $1,500,000 to acquire a 554-acre conservation easement to permanently protect intact headwater springs, riparian areas, wetlands, and upland forests in the Mad River watershed.

Los Angeles County:

• Koreatown Youth and Community Center was awarded $595,000 to plant 300 new street trees in neighborhoods adjacent to the LA Metro Express, mitigating emissions and the effects of heat islands.

• Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority was awarded $1,500,000 to acquire the 54.4-acre Saddle Peak Springs property. The acquisition protects open space with dramatic coastal and mountain views, rare spring-fed ponds, high biodiversity, adjacent trail connections, and wildlife connectivity.

• TreePeople was awarded $750,000 to remove 30,000 square feet of asphalt, plant 60 trees and 539 native plants, and add two outdoor learning gardens and a grass play area at an elementary school adjacent to a rail expressway.

San Luis Obispo County:

• Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County was awarded $1,003,900 to permanently protect 1,645 acres of intact grassland, oak woodland, and riparian habitat through the acquisition of two contiguous conservation easements in eastern San Luis Obispo County.

Santa Barbara County:

• County of Santa Barbara Public Works was awarded $160,000 to restore five acres of dune habitat at Rancho Guadalupe Dunes County Park.

EEM grants are funded by the Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Program Fund created by Streets and Highways Code Section 164.56. CNRA evaluates grant proposals and submits projects recommended for funding to the CTC for approval and award.