California Council of Land Trusts and Land Trust Alliance announce $5 million in state grant funding to support California’s land trust community
Sacramento, Calif. — The California Council of Land Trusts and the Land Trust Alliance are pleased to announce that the California Wildlife Conservation Board has awarded $5 million in grant funding for The California Onward Capacity Building and Grant Program: Accelerating Conservation to Reach 30x30.
CCLT, in collaboration with the Land Trust 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 30x30 and the Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy.
“CCLT is elated and grateful to receive this funding from WCB to launch The California 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 30x30 initiative,” said 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 its partners,” said Jennifer Norris, executive director of the California Wildlife Conservation Board. “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 Land Trust Alliance is excited to work alongside CCLT to move the California Onward initiative forward and amplify the conservation efforts of California land trusts,” said Bob Neale, California senior program manager for the Land Trust Alliance. “Supporting our state’s land trusts means providing our communities with clean air and water, nutritious food, habitat for plants and animals, and places to get outside to relax, reflect and recharge. Thank you to the California Wildlife Conservation Board for supporting this critical work."
The California Onward Capacity Building and Grant Program includes two elements — the California Onward Grant Program and a capacity-building Technical Assistance program — both supported by strategic communications, outreach, and program evaluation. The California Onward Grant Program will provide more than $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.
About the Land Trust Alliance
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. The Alliance represents approximately 1,000 member land trusts and affiliates supported by more than 250,000 volunteers and 6.3 million members nationwide. The Alliance is based in Washington, D.C., with staff working in communities across the U.S.