The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) California Forest Legacy Grants Program has selected four projects to receive over $8.5 million in state funding for the acquisition of conservation easements and fee title for working forestlands.
The California Forest Legacy Grants protect environmentally important forest land threatened with conversion to non-forest uses. Protection of California’s forests through these grants ensures they will continue to provide such benefits as sustainable timber production, wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities, watershed protection, carbon sequestration and storage, and open space.
“CAL FIRE’s commitment to the long-term protection of California’s vital forest landscapes is exemplified by the awarding of the 2024 Forest Legacy grants,” said Matthew Reischman, Deputy Director of Resource Management at CAL FIRE. “By utilizing Working Forest Conservation Easements, we are focusing on sustainable forest management practices that not only generate economic value but also promote land stewardship and increase wildfire resilience for future generations.”
One example of a project supported by this round of grant funding is the Owl Creek Fee/Conservation Easement in Placer County. The project will provide funding to the Colfax-Todds Valley Consolidated Tribe to acquire the property, while Placer Land Trust will hold a conservation easement to ensure its protection. The Tribe will manage the land as a living laboratory, using indigenous management practices and traditional knowledge to demonstrate ecological restoration. This approach will also serve as a hands-on, multigenerational learning experience, helping to preserve traditional ecological knowledge and land stewardship. As part of the project, the Tribe will contribute a cultural assessment of the property, adding valuable insights to the overall conservation effort.
CAL FIRE grants fund the purchase of conservation easements and where appropriate, fee title of productive forest lands to encourage their long-term conservation. Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements that permanently limits uses of the land to protect conservation values. The primary tool CAL FIRE uses to conserve forest lands in perpetuity is the permanent Working Forest Conservation Easement (WFCE). A WFCE is an effective, cooperative legal agreement that permanently protects the important natural values of a forest property—fisheries, water supplies, wildlife habitat, and open space—while ensuring good forest management and sustainable flows of the wood products we need.
Forest Legacy grants were funded through the legislature’s Wildfire Resilience enhancements to the Governor’s budget in fiscal years 2022/2023 and 2023/2024.
To view the full list of grant recipients and for more information on Forest Legacy Grants, visit the Forest Legacy Program website.