News Release: Coastal Conservancy Awards $13.6 million for Coastal Access, Restoration, Climate Resilience, and Tribal Landback
4/18/25 – Yesterday, the Board of the State Coastal Conservancy awarded over $13.6 million to a total of 13 projects to expand public access, enhance climate resilience, mitigate wildfire risk, and return land to California’s native tribes. The projects funded were:
A grant of up to $1,272,250, of which $972,250 is from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program, to the City of Fortuna to complete pre-acquisition tasks and acquire 237 acres along the Lower Eel River in Fortuna, Humboldt County; and to prepare plans and designs for a park on a portion of the property, and to prepare a management plan for the other portion of the property. The City of Fortuna will retain 7.2 acres for open space, public access, and recreation, and the remaining 230 acres will be transferred to the Wiyot Tribe for the preservation of open space; protection, restoration, and enhancement of natural resources and habitat for fish and wildlife; protection of cultural resources; and to the extent compatible with habitat protection, providing public access and California Native American tribal cultural use and access.
Mendocino County
A grant of up to $36,169 to augment the Conservancy’s previously authorized grant to Jug Handle Creek Farm and Nature Center to construct two cabins with bathrooms and two new campground bathrooms, and improve related infrastructure on the Jug Handle Creek Farm and Nature Center property located in the community of Caspar, Mendocino County.
Sonoma County
A grant of up to $1,103,500 to LandPaths to undertake the Calvi Acquisition and Management Planning Project, consisting of acquiring the 84-acre Calvi property in Occidental, Sonoma County for preservation of open space, protection and enhancement of fish and wildlife habitat, and tribal and public access; and preparing a management plan, conceptual designs, and permit applications.
Contra Costa County
A grant of up to $2,646,000 to the East Bay Regional Park District to undertake the Point Molate Bay Trail Construction Project, consisting of construction of 1.25 miles of the San Francisco Bay Trail from the San Rafael Bridge Trail eastern landing to the City of Richmond’s Point Molate Beach Park in Contra Costa County.
San Mateo County
A grant of up to $1,000,000 to contract for services to conduct community engagement and to prepare designs, environmental review documents, and permit applications for development of the approximately 1.3-mile long Pedro Point Headlands segment of the California Coastal Trail in San Mateo County.
Santa Cruz County
A grant of up to $460,000 to the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County to complete final planning and permitting tasks for the Community Harvest at Watsonville Slough Farm Project which will establish trails, a trailhead, gardens, and gathering facilities at Watsonville Slough Farm in Watsonville, Santa Cruz County; and adoption of findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.
Monterey County
A grant of up to $2,000,000 to the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County to acquire 1,720 acres of the historic Rana Creek Ranch along Tularcitos Creek in upper Carmel Valley to protect and restore natural resources and wildlife habitat; preserve open space; enable compatible agriculture including cattle grazing; protect cultural resources; provide compatible Native American tribal access and guided public access; and potentially create a tribal education center and tribal housing for property management.
San Luis Obispo County
A grant of up to $200,000 to the City of San Luis Obispo to prepare a City of San Luis Obispo vegetation management plan focused on reducing fire fuels and the threat of wildfire on City-owned open space and creek properties and to develop a related website.
A grant of up to $400,900 to ytt Northern Chumash Nonprofit to initiate the Good Fire Promotion Program, consisting of preparing a cultural burn management plan, training yak tityu tityu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash Tribal members, purchasing equipment and supplies for cultural burns, and conducting a series of cultural burns totaling 8-30 acres on Johnson Ranch Open Space in San Luis Obispo County.
A grant of up to $2,000,000 to the County of San Luis Obispo to construct a segment of the California Coastal Trail between Morro Bay and Cayucos in San Luis Obispo County; and adoption of findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.
Santa Barbara County
A grant of up to $240,000 to the City of Santa Barbara to engage Tribes and other stakeholders; conduct technical studies; prepare permit applications; and advance the designs to redevelop Ambassador Park in Santa Barbara, including through native landscaping and cultural components that celebrate the cultural heritage of the Chumash native people.
Riverside County
A grant of up to $750,000 to augment the Conservancy’s existing grants of $3,600,000, previously authorized to the Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District for preparation of designs for a 1.5-mile Santa Ana River Trail segment that is adjacent to the Green River Golf Course and connects to the Orange County line in the County of Riverside.
San Diego County
A grant of up to $1,500,000 to the California Department of Parks and Recreation to undertake the Silver Strand Campground Expansion – Design project, consisting of conducting planning and studies, and preparing designs, environmental review, and permit applications for increasing lower-cost accommodations at Silver Strand State Beach in San Diego County.