Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy Proposition Proposition 68 Grant Program

The Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy administers the Proposition 68 Grant Program with funding from the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2018. The program supports projects within the Coachella Valley and its surrounding mountains that advance the Conservancy's statutory conservation and public-access mission. Applications have been accepted on a continuing basis since April 1, 2019, subject to the continuing availability of legislative appropriations for the program. Funding priorities include projects that enhance access to outdoor recreation, preserve cultural or historical resources, respond to climate change, or protect natural resources. Eligible outdoor recreation activities can include visitor-serving improvements in parks, public open spaces, or recreational areas; hiking, biking, walking, and equestrian trails; acquisition or restoration that expands public access; and community access projects involving interpretive facilities, language services, disabled access improvements, transportation services, training, or public education related to natural resource management or land stewardship. Community access projects must qualify as capital improvements under applicable bond-law requirements. The program can also support stabilization or restoration of historically significant buildings, monuments, or infrastructure; protection of archaeological or cultural artifacts; and interpretive improvements concerning habitat conservation, cultural artifacts, or local history. Climate-related activities can include restoration of open space or habitat through removal of invasive plants and replacement with indigenous plants, improvements that reduce vehicle miles traveled such as electric vehicle or bicycle facilities, charging stations, or public transit facilities or programs, and land-management practices that prevent agricultural land conversion, promote urban greening, compost, grazing, fire prevention, or similar practices. Other projects may be considered when they protect the open space, wildlife, scenic, biological, hydrologic, anthropological, cultural, or recreational resources of the Coachella Valley and other Conservancy funding sources are unavailable. Eligible applicants are state and local public entities, nonprofit organizations, and Indian tribes within the Coachella Valley or its surrounding mountains. At least 20 percent of program funds are reserved for projects serving severely disadvantaged communities, defined by the RFP as communities with median household incomes below 60 percent of the statewide average. Projects serving economically disadvantaged communities, defined as communities below 80 percent of the statewide average, and projects meeting more than one program objective receive funding priority. The pre-application also states that projects providing at least 20 percent in matching funds are priorities for funding. This is presented as a preference rather than a mandatory cost-share requirement. The application process begins with submission of a Pre-Application. CVMC reviews the pre-application and notifies the applicant whether the project is eligible to proceed to a full application. The pre-application requests the applicant name, representative and contact information, a one-page project description describing key objectives, work tasks, and deliverables, information concerning prior CEQA or NEPA environmental review, a project or service-area map, information about ownership or site control, the tentative amount of funding requested, a summary budget, information about other funding, whether the project serves a severely disadvantaged community, and whether conservation corps services would be appropriate. CVMC staff may request questions, comments, or clarifications before directing an eligible applicant to complete the full application narrative. After submission of a full application, CVMC staff reviews and scores the application using the Project Evaluation Criteria contained in the program Guidelines. CVMC then notifies the applicant of the full application review status, and eligible projects are presented to the Conservancy Board for consideration at its bi-monthly meetings. A project may commence after the Board awards the grant and the grant agreement is executed. The RFP does not state an individual award minimum, individual award maximum, total program funding amount, number of awards, fixed application closing date, award notification date, or defined performance period. Applications remain continuous while program appropriations are available. Questions may be directed to Maximiliano Felipe Ochoa, Program Coordinator, at mochoa@cvmc.ca.gov or (760) 776-5026.

Address more than one program objective where possible; document service to economically or severely disadvantaged communities; consider providing at least 20 percent matching funds because such projects receive priority; ensure community access projects qualify as capital improvements under bond law; clearly address site control and applicable CEQA or NEPA review.