Sacramento, CA. The California Council of Land Trusts (CCLT), is pleased to announce that the California Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) has awarded $5 million in grant funding for The California Onward Capacity Building and Grant Program: Accelerating Conservation to Reach 30×30.
CCLT, in collaboration with the Land Trust Alliance (Alliance), will utilize these much-needed funds to build and sustain capacity for California’s non-profit land trusts and advance conservation of an additional one million acres of land over the next three years. The funded programming will directly contribute to meeting the goals in Pathways to 30×30 and the Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy (NWLCSS).
“CCLT is elated and grateful to receive this funding from WCB to launch TheCalifornia Onward Capacity Building and Grant Program. Land trusts in California work diligently to conserve and restore land throughout the state but need additional resources to help realize the ambitious goals as set forth in the Governor’s 30×30 initiative,” stated Bridget Fithian, Board Chair of CCLT. “The land trust community is poised to conserve another 3.5 million acres of forests, chaparral, wetlands, grasslands, deserts, coastal habitats, and working lands by 2030. With the State partnership represented by this grant, we are much closer to making this goal a reality. We would like to acknowledge and extend appreciation for the vision and leadership of Governor Newsom, Wildlife Conservation Board Members, Secretary Crowfoot, and Director Norris for support of this program.”
“California’s land trust community has the full support of WCB, and we are proud to provide funding for CCLT and their partners,” said Jennifer Norris, WCB Executive Director. “This project will not only advance biodiversity conservation but will place a renewed focus on disadvantaged communities and California Native American communities, which is consistent with WCB’s mission of providing conservation opportunities for all Californians, delivering on the promise of outdoor equity.”
The California Onward Capacity Building and Grant Program includes two elements — the California Onward Grant Program and a capacity-buildingTechnical Assistance program — both supported by strategic communications, outreach, and program evaluation. The California Onward Grant Program will provide over $3.5 million in direct assistance to land trusts and their community partners through transaction and organizational advancement grants. This program will engage, train, and equip California land trusts and their partners, with a focus on disadvantaged communities and California Native American communities, to accelerate the pace, scale, diversity, and durability of conservation across the Golden State.
CCLT’s purpose is to build a diverse statewide land trust community equal to the challenge and privilege of conserving our extraordinary land and water resources for all Californians. Founded in 1982, the Land Trust Alliance is a national land conservation organization working to save the places people need and love by empowering and mobilizing land trusts in communities across America to conserve land for the benefit of all. Land trusts work with individuals, private landowners, and public agencies to conserve natural areas, parks, and farmlands to keep California’s communities vibrant, enjoyable, resilient, and sustainable. For more information about CCLT, please visithttps://www.calandtrusts.org/. For more information about the Alliance, please visit https://landtrustalliance.org/.