Local Conservation Corps Climate Bond Grant Program

The California Conservation Corps administers the Local Conservation Corps Climate Bond Grant Program under Proposition 4, the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024, Senate Bill 867. Proposition 4 was approved by California voters in November 2024 and authorizes funding for demonstrated job projects. The purpose of the Climate Bond is to confront climate change, protect California communities and nature from climate impacts, and improve the lives of Californians. The Local Conservation Corps program specifically prioritizes projects that provide educational and career pathways for young adults while they work on natural resource projects. The program supports projects that mitigate unemployment and assist California with implementation of critical natural resources, transportation, energy, and housing infrastructure that promotes climate resilience. It also supports projects that prepare for, prevent, respond to, and rehabilitate communities following natural disasters, declared emergencies, or climate-related impacts. Priorities include projects that leverage private, federal, or local funding or produce substantial public benefit; improve climate resilience; promote watershed restoration, ecosystem protection, habitat restoration, forest health and resilience, sustainably managed landscapes, and other conservation outcomes; or expand and improve transportation, energy, and housing infrastructure. Eligible project areas include wildfire and forest resilience, wetlands and watershed restoration, emergency and disaster response and resilience, transportation, energy, housing infrastructure, outdoor access and recreation, and qualifying corpsmember internships associated with eligible natural resource projects. The Budget Act of 2025 authorized $9,949,000 for certified local conservation corps for fiscal year 2025/2026, with an additional $9,949,000 anticipated in each of fiscal years 2026/2027 and 2027/2028. The total anticipated appropriation to local conservation corps is $29,847,000. The grant is administered on a non-competitive basis, with each certified local conservation corps receiving an equal allocation of $2,131,928 over three enactment years: $710,642 for enactment year 2025 and anticipated allocations of $710,643 in both enactment years 2026 and 2027. Future funding remains subject to passage of the California State Budget, Department of Finance authorization, and possible adjustments based on the number of certified local conservation corps. No mandatory matching contribution is stated, although applicants must disclose any matching or leveraged funding associated with their projects. Eligible applicants are Certified Local Conservation Corps. Under the detailed guidelines, an applicant must be certified by the California Conservation Corps pursuant to Public Resources Code section 14507.5 for the fiscal year corresponding to the Climate Bond appropriation. Applicants must possess the fiscal viability and operational capacity to complete their projects on a reimbursement basis and must maintain adequate financial management systems, accounting practices, internal controls, audit trails, and cost allocation procedures. Projects must provide a long-term public benefit, comply with applicable State laws and CEQA requirements, and satisfy applicable site control and land tenure requirements. Acquisitions, Local Conservation Corps facility development, legally mandated mitigation, routine maintenance or landscaping, standalone education or training curriculum projects, community outreach, and projects lacking the required long-term or capital benefit are ineligible. Applications are accepted through Submittable. Required materials include applicant and Project Partner information, project title and dates, requested grant funding, information concerning matching or leveraged funds, budget categories and amounts, CCC Form 510 Grant Budget Estimate, a detailed budget narrative, indirect cost information and supporting documentation, applicable vendor quotes or estimates, project categories, measurable deliverables, an estimated project timeline, and detailed Proposal Summary responses. Applicants must also provide project site information, coordinates, maps, site control and land tenure information, environmental compliance documentation, at least three before photos, and responses to the Supplemental Organizational/Fiscal Capacity Questionnaire. Applicants are instructed to avoid simply answering N/A and instead clearly explain why a question or section does not apply. Project Partners should take an active role in developing the proposal, particularly its purpose, objectives, relationship to Climate Bond priorities, activities, and deliverables. The opportunity is described by the program page as Open on a Rolling Basis, while the detailed guidelines establish a defined solicitation period from October 23, 2025 through June 30, 2029 and state that applications are accepted on a rolling basis during that period. Complete applications should be allowed approximately 60 days for California Conservation Corps review, including State Treasurer's Office approval. Following project approval, Grant Agreement preparation and execution generally requires an additional 10 to 15 business days. Work and expenses may not begin before execution of the Grant Agreement. Enactment year 2025 project work and grant expenditures must be completed by February 15, 2030; enactment year 2026 funding by February 15, 2031; and enactment year 2027 funding by February 15, 2032. Questions concerning Grant Agreements, grant administration, grant funds, and policies may be directed to the designated Program Coordinator or Grants.Certification@ccc.ca.gov.

Clearly connect the project to the Climate Bond purpose of confronting climate change, protecting California communities and nature, and improving Californians' lives; demonstrate educational and career pathways for young adults working on natural resource projects; avoid using N/A and explain why questions do not apply; involve the Project Partner actively in developing project purpose, objectives, activities, and deliverables; make deliverables specific, measurable, and verifiable; prepare an auditable budget narrative with clear calculations and justification; include anticipated eligible cost categories before approval; establish required environmental compliance, site control, and land tenure documentation before project work begins