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The Department of Conservation is pleased to announce the release of the 2025 California Farmland Conservancy Program (CFCP) Solicitation.​​​ Pre-proposals and applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.​​
​​2025 CFCP Solicitation (PDF)​

Applicants must submit all required application materials via email to cfcp@conservation.ca.gov. 


California Farmland Conservancy Program Coordinator

The California Farmland Conservancy Program (CFCP) is a statewide grant program that supports local efforts to establish agricultural conservation easements and land improvement projects for the purpose of preserving important agricultural land resources and enhancing sustainable agricultural uses.

CFCP was created by the California Farmland Conservancy Program Act of 1995 to:

- Encourage voluntary, long-term private stewardship of agricultural lands

- Protect farming and ranching operations in agricultural areas from nonfarm or nonranch land uses that may&#x2004;hinder or curtail such operations

- Encourage long-term conservation of productive agricultural lands in order to protect the agricultural economy of rural communities, as well as that of the state, for future generations of Californians

- Encourage local land use planning for orderly and efficient urban growth and conservation of agricultural land

- Encourage local land use planning decisions that are consistent with the state's agricultural land conservation policies

- Encourage improvements to enhance long-term sustainable agricultural uses



The California Farmland Conservancy Program (CFCP) is a statewide grant program that supports local efforts to establish agricultural conservation easements and land improvement projects for the purpose of preserving important agricultural land resources and enhancing sustainable agricultural uses.
CFCP was created by the California Farmland Conservancy Program Act of 1995 to:
- Encourage voluntary, long-term private stewardship of agricultural lands
- Protect farming and ranching operations in agricultural areas from nonfarm or nonranch land uses that may hinder or curtail such operations
- Encourage long-term conservation of productive agricultural lands in order to protect the agricultural economy of rural communities, as well as that of the state, for future generations of Californians
- Encourage local land use planning for orderly and efficient urban growth and conservation of agricultural land
- Encourage local land use planning decisions that are consistent with the state's agricultural land conservation policies
- Encourage improvements to enhance long-term sustainable agricultural uses

Eligible Project Type(s):
- Agricultural Conservation Easements: Grants to protect agricultural lands under threat of conversion to nonagricultural uses through the acquisition of voluntary, permanent agricultural conservation easements.
- Land Improvement Grants: Grants for the improvement of lands protected by a conservation easement or similar long-term conservation agreement as determined by the Department’s Director if the improvement will directly benefit the protected land.

Eligible Applicants:
- ​Tax-exempt nonprofit organizations qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and qualified to do business in this state. Eligible non-profits must have as their primary purpose the preservation, protection, or enhancement of land in its natural, scenic, historical, agricultural, forested, or open-space condition or use (“Primary Purpose").
- The state or any city, county, city and county, district, or other state or local governmental entity, if otherwise authorized to acquire and hold title to real property and if the conservation easement is voluntarily conveyed.
- ​A federally recognized California Native American tribe or a nonfederally recognized California Native American tribe that is on the contact list maintained by the Native American Heritage Commission to protect a California Native American prehistoric, archaeological, cultural, spiritual, or ceremonial place, if the conservation easement is voluntarily conveyed. ​​​​​​

A lump sum of money for a specific purpose that does not need to be paid back.

Grant

Payment per unit of land to do or avoid certain practices related to land management.

Easement

- ​​2025 CFCP Solicitation (PDF)
- Application Documents ​
- Grant Management Documents 
- Managing Your​ Grant​
- Project Success Stories

Air Quality

Carbon Capture

Certification

High Tunnel

Landscape

Regenerative

Soil Health

Wildlife & Pollinator Habitat

Certified Organic

Certified Grassfed

Cover Crops

Reduced Tillage

Match Funding 
Match funding is required. Both project types require a minimum amount of match funding. The amount of match is a component of the selection criteria used to evaluate grant applications. Matching funds may be provided directly by the applicant, or from other funding sources (e.g., other grant funds, local government contributions, volunteer hours). Except for the easement monitoring endowment, costs used for match funding must be eligible costs. 
Easement: 
Each application for an easement grant pursuant to CFCP must include a matching component of either (1) not less than 5 percent of the value of the grant or (2) a landowner donation of not less than 10 percent of the fair market value of the agricultural conservation easement. Combinations of donations and match must be at least 10 percent of the value of the easement. Up to 50 percent of easement monitoring endowment contributions may be applied toward the match requirement. 
Land Improvement: 
Each application for a Land Improvement grants pursuant to CFCP must include a matching component of not less than 10% of the proposal’s total cost. Grant applications will be evaluated, in part, based on the amount of matching funds and in-kind services provided.

Read the SALC Guidelines to determine what kind of project you wish to apply for, then submit the required materials by email to salcp@conservation.ca.gov.

Shanna Atherton-Bauer

**Notice**: _On April 14, 2025, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the cancellation of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities (PCSC). The USDA plans to reform the program into the Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP) initiative. Contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) for more information on how to apply to the AMP initiative. _


The SALC Program supports agricultural land conservation, economic growth, and sustainable development by providing grants for three types of projects:

- **Land Use Planning grants** that support&#x2004;the development of local and regional land use policies and economic development strategies to protect critical agricultural land

- **Agricultural Conservation Acquisition grants** to permanently protect croplands, rangelands, and lands utilized for the cultivation of traditional resources from conversion to non-agricultural uses.​

- **Capacity and Project Development grants** to expand organizational capacity to develop agricultural conservation acquisition projects.

The program invests in agricultural land conservation with revenue from the [California Climat​e ​Inv​estments (CCI) Fund​](http://www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov/), made available for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions while providing additional benefits to California communities. CCI is derived from quarterly cap-and-trade auction proceeds, which are administered by the California Air Resources Board. 

Three types of grants are offered as a part of this program:

- Agricultural Conservation Acquisition Capacity Funding – Grants to develop agricultural conservation easement and fee acquisition projects and/or cover associated costs to help close acquisition projects where the cost of the acquisition is covered by an alternate source of funding.

- Agricultural Conservation Acquisitions – Grants to protect important agricultural lands under threat of conversion to nonagricultural uses through the acquisition of voluntary, permanent agricultural conservation easements (easements) or fee title purchases. Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program Final Program Guidelines - April 2023 2

- Agricultural Conservation Planning – Grants to develop and implement plans for the protection of agricultural lands under pressure of being converted to non-agricultural uses.

The Department of Conservation works in cooperation with the Natural Resources Agency and the SGC to implement the program. ​



Notice: On April 14, 2025, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the cancellation of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities (PCSC). The USDA plans to reform the program into the Advancing Markets for Producers (AMP) initiative. Contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) for more information on how to apply to the AMP initiative. 

The SALC Program supports agricultural land conservation, economic growth, and sustainable development by providing grants for three types of projects:
- Land Use Planning grants that support the development of local and regional land use policies and economic development strategies to protect critical agricultural land
- Agricultural Conservation Acquisition grants to permanently protect croplands, rangelands, and lands utilized for the cultivation of traditional resources from conversion to non-agricultural uses.​
- Capacity and Project Development grants to expand organizational capacity to develop agricultural conservation acquisition projects.
The program invests in agricultural land conservation with revenue from the California Climat​e ​Inv​estments (CCI) Fund​, made available for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions while providing additional benefits to California communities. CCI is derived from quarterly cap-and-trade auction proceeds, which are administered by the California Air Resources Board. 
Three types of grants are offered as a part of this program:
- Agricultural Conservation Acquisition Capacity Funding – Grants to develop agricultural conservation easement and fee acquisition projects and/or cover associated costs to help close acquisition projects where the cost of the acquisition is covered by an alternate source of funding.
- Agricultural Conservation Acquisitions – Grants to protect important agricultural lands under threat of conversion to nonagricultural uses through the acquisition of voluntary, permanent agricultural conservation easements (easements) or fee title purchases. Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program Final Program Guidelines - April 2023 2
- Agricultural Conservation Planning – Grants to develop and implement plans for the protection of agricultural lands under pressure of being converted to non-agricultural uses.
The Department of Conservation works in cooperation with the Natural Resources Agency and the SGC to implement the program. ​

Cities, counties, non-profit organizations, resource conservation districts, regional park or open-space districts, regional park or open-space authorities, and federally recognized California Native American tribe or a nonfederally recognized California Native American tribe that is on the contact list maintained by the Native American Heritage Commission, are eligible to apply.

Grants go to cities, counties, RCDs, land trusts, open-space districts and tribes — not to farmers directly. A farmer or rancher benefits by selling a permanent agricultural conservation easement to one of those applicants, so the percentages below are what SALC will pay toward that purchase.

Agricultural Conservation Acquisition grants (Final Program Guidelines, August 2025):

- Easements: "Competitive grants will be awarded to cover up to ninety percent (90%) of the value of the agricultural conservation easement."
- Fee title: "Not more than twenty-five percent (25%) of available funding may be awarded for fee acquisition projects. Competitive grants may be awarded to cover up to ninety (90%) of the agricultural conservation easement value of the property's fair market value." The guidelines' own worked example: on a $1,000,000 property whose easement value is $500,000, "SALC would contribute a maximum of $450,000 (or 90% of $500,000) toward the purchase of the property."
- Tribal exception: where a tribe or tribal non-profit is the applicant/co-applicant or will own the land, "SALC may pay for up to 100% of the fair market value of the property."
- Transaction costs on top: "All projects approved for funding are eligible to receive up to $60,000—in addition to the funding toward the acquisition discussed above—to cover reasonable associated costs incurred to acquire the real property interest." Requests above $60,000 need a detailed budget.
- Appraisal risk sits with the deal: "Any additional increase in valuation above fifteen percent (15%) will need to be covered by a landowner bargain sale (donation) or by other match funders."
- Easements are permanent ("voluntary, permanent agricultural conservation easements").

Agricultural Conservation Planning grants: "Planning Grants have a $500,000 maximum grant award. The application must include a minimum ten percent (10%) match funding except as noted below." Match may come from the applicant or other sources, but "Applicants cannot utilize another Department-administered program funding as match toward the grant."

Round 11 scale and timing: "SGC anticipates approximately $58 million in funding will be available for funding for competitive awards in Round 11. Of this amount, up to 50% of funding will be made available for Round 11, Cycle A." Acquisition Phase 1 pre-proposals are accepted on rolling submittal. Cycle B: Phase 2 pre-proposals were due May 14, 2026; planning and acquisition applications June 17, 2026; project awards October 2026.

SALC is funded from Cap-and-Invest auction proceeds through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, so the amount available each round is not fixed.

Apply through the California Department of Conservation Climate Smart Land Management Program page during an open solicitation.

Climate Smart Land Management Program

Jenny DiStefano

Program Specialist, Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program

The Climate Smart Land Management Program (CSLMP), awarded through the California Department of Conservation, funds organizations using nature-based solutions to meet the goals of the State's Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy and to support Pathways to 30x30 (conserving 30% of California's lands and coastal waters by 2030). Its goal is a resilient, equitable, and carbon-neutral future by developing regional and state capacity to increase climate resilience on natural and working lands.



Eligible applicants are organizations using nature-based solutions, including Resource Conservation Districts, tribal organizations, and land trusts, for activities such as technical assistance to landowners, research, restoration projects, and capacity-building for land management initiatives.

Trials

The authorizing bill set aside $10 million for the Department of Conservation for projects that improve climate resilience on California lands; California provided $8.5 million in grants to six organizations in a recent round.

Apply through the California Department of Conservation MLRP page when a regional block-grant solicitation is open.

California Dept of Conservation — MLRP

The Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP), administered by the California Department of Conservation, awards regional block grants to help find shared solutions for resilient landscapes and a sustainable groundwater future. Multibenefit projects provide groundwater sustainability benefits plus at least one other benefit (community health, economic wellbeing, habitat, flood, or renewable energy).



The program awards block grants to groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) and partners working with GSAs, who coordinate the development of land repurposing strategies at the local and regional level. Land repurposing projects must be consistent with the Groundwater Sustainability Plan for the area. Farmers do not apply directly.

Irrigation

Water Quality

Waterway Protection

Wetland Conservation

Conservation

To date, the program has awarded $81.5 million to 8 block grantees, one tribal grantee, and a Statewide Support Entity. The Climate Bond (Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024, Section 91013) authorizes up to $200 million for MLRP.

Apply through the California Department of Conservation Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program page during an open solicitation.

Brian Newman-Lindsay

Program Manager, Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program

The California Department of Conservation's Regional Forest and Fire Capacity (RFFC) Program provides block grants to regional and statewide block grantees, who coordinate at statewide, regional, and local levels to distribute funds and implement work — building capacity for forest health and wildfire resilience with broad, inclusive outreach across California.



Eligible applicants are regional and statewide block grantees. Funds support regional coordinators who provide technical assistance to fire safe councils and communities interested in starting fire safe councils.

Trees

Disaster Relief

Emergency

Block grants build regional capacity for forest health and wildfire resilience; regional grantees sub-distribute funds and provide technical assistance.

Apply through the California Department of Conservation RCD Financial Assistance Program page during an open grant solicitation.

California Department of Conservation - RCD Assistance Program

Through the RCD Financial Assistance Program, the California Department of Conservation provides financial assistance, information, and technical support to California's Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) in their mission to develop a land-stewardship ethic that promotes long-term sustainability of the state's natural resources.



Eligible applicants are California Resource Conservation Districts. Eligible projects to increase RCD capacity include fundraising, planning, partnership development, community education and outreach, and improving operational efficiency.

Stewardship

Education

Grants build RCD capacity. In one funding round the Department received 12 applications requesting $263,835 total, and awarded $135,000 available to seven applicants.

Apply through the California Department of Conservation Watershed Coordinator Program page during an open solicitation.

California Dept of Conservation — Watershed Coordinator Program

The California Department of Conservation's Watershed Coordinator Program funds watershed-coordinator positions for local governments or non-profits to work with local stakeholders and downstream beneficiaries to develop plans and projects that improve watershed health and achieve state and local natural-resources goals.



Eligible applicants are local governments or non-profit organizations that host a watershed coordinator. Coordinators are funded through the Forest Health Watershed Coordinator Program (Sierra and coastal regions) and the Sustainable Groundwater Management Watershed Coordinator Program (Central Valley and coastal regions).

Water Management

Positions are funded for three years. Recent rounds funded eight watershed coordinators (Forest Health) and five (Sustainable Groundwater Management).

List of California Department of Conservation (CADC) Funding Opportunities