Senate Bill 1 Sea Level Rise Tribal Cultural Resources Funding Program

The Senate Bill 1 Sea Level Rise Tribal Cultural Resources Funding Program is administered by the California Ocean Protection Council (OPC), a Cabinet-level body focused on preserving the health, resilience, and productivity of California’s ocean and coastal ecosystems. Recognizing the urgent and unique challenges posed by sea level rise (SLR) to California Native American tribes, the OPC has developed this grant program as part of its broader SB 1 Grant Program to provide culturally informed support for tribes in assessing and addressing SLR impacts on their ancestral lands and resources. This funding opportunity supports California Native American tribes—both federally recognized and non-federally recognized through nonprofit partnerships—in developing SLR vulnerability assessments and adaptation planning. The program enables a wide range of eligible activities including community visioning, education and outreach, data collection, vulnerability assessments, and adaptation planning tailored to the preservation of tribal cultural resources. Importantly, projects may focus on tribally owned land, culturally significant non-tribal lands, or both. The program emphasizes flexibility and responsiveness to tribal priorities and ways of knowing, including the use of Traditional Knowledge. Unlike the SB 1 Track 1 funding stream, which is constrained by state-mandated land use planning requirements and limited to federally recognized tribes, this separate allocation allows broader tribal access and use cases. Funded by the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, the program is structured to facilitate rolling quarterly application cycles. Projects are awarded on a non-competitive, first-come, first-serve basis, provided they meet eligibility requirements. Award sizes typically range between $250,000 and $750,000, with a total program budget of $5 million dedicated to this track. Applications are reviewed quarterly, with key dates provided for the first and second rounds. The upcoming application deadline is January 5, 2026, with awards anticipated following the June 16, 2026 OPC meeting and projects beginning as early as September 2026. The second round closes on April 16, 2026, with limited funding available, and earliest award decisions on September 22, 2026. The program is currently accepting applications, and future cycles are expected quarterly, enabling continuous opportunity for tribes to participate. Application requirements include completing the SLR Tribal and Cultural Resources Funding Proposal Template and submitting relevant supplemental materials as outlined in the SLR Tribal Cultural Resources Funding Solicitation. While there is no explicit pre-application gating mechanism such as a concept paper or LOI, applicants are encouraged to attend office hours and consult the forthcoming FAQ document for clarification. The program also offers technical assistance for proposal development through a separate TA Program managed in partnership with Coastal Quest. For general inquiries, applicants can contact OPC staff via the dedicated email address [email protected]. More detailed information, including proposal guidelines and instructions, is expected in the formal solicitation document. The program stands as a key initiative in supporting tribal resilience and sovereignty in the face of climate-driven coastal threats.