The Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) of California is offering funding for habitat restoration and public access enhancement projects statewide. These grants aim to support initiatives that restore natural environments, increase ecological connectivity, and promote access for justice communities—those historically underserved or disproportionately impacted by environmental burdens. WCB places a strong emphasis on projects that align with environmental equity and biodiversity restoration goals.
Currently, funding is limited to restoration and public access projects. The WCB is not accepting new applications for land acquisition projects at this time due to a processing backlog. Organizations that submitted acquisition-related pre-applications prior to the portal’s closure will be notified regarding next steps. A reopening of the application portal for acquisitions is anticipated after the backlog is cleared.
Prospective applicants must begin the process by submitting a pre-application. This pre-application must be a Microsoft Word document with the phrase “PreApp” or “Pre-App” in the file name. It must include all necessary maps and photos within the Word file. If maps or photos must be submitted separately, they must be formatted as PDFs. Pre-applications should be sent to WCBpreapps@wildlife.ca.gov.
Full applications are accepted by invitation only, and only after the pre-application has been reviewed and approved. All related application materials and templates—such as the General Grant Guidelines, Restoration/Development Budget Worksheet, and the full application form—are available on the WCB’s grant portal.
Additional grant funding will become available starting July 1, 2025, when bond dollars from Proposition 4 are allocated through California’s state budgeting process. Interested parties should subscribe to WCB News to receive timely updates on application cycles and funding announcements.
For general inquiries, contact the WCB at (916) 445-8448 or email WCBpreapps@wildlife.ca.gov. The Board’s physical address is 715 P Street, 17th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814.
