News Release: Coastal Conservancy awards over $54 million for Coastal Resilience, Restoration, and Public Access

Today, the Board of the State Coastal Conservancy authorized a total of over $54 million in funding for 28 projects that will help to restore the California coast, expand public access, and improve climate resilience.

Nearly $21 million of the total awarded comes from the 2024 Climate Bond (the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024 codified as Public Resources Code section 90000, et seq)

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The grants awarded were:

  1. Consideration and authorization to disburse up to $1,075,014 of grant funds from the California Department of Conservation’s Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program to augment the total grant amount authorized on November 20, 2025 for grants to five public agencies to improve forest health and wildfire resiliency, facilitate greenhouse gas emissions reductions, and increase carbon sequestration in forests in Alameda, Santa Clara, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara Counties. These additional funds will be granted to the Santa Barbara County Fire Safe Council and the Native Coast Action Network to carry out planning, wildfire steward training, and workforce development projects in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties.
  2. A grant of up to $941,000 to Ducks Unlimited, Inc. to augment a previously authorized Conservancy grant for the restoration of tidal marsh and creation of public access at the Mountain View Ponds (Ponds A1 and A2W) and to disburse $559,000 to the California Wildlife Foundation to conduct monitoring and adaptive management, both of which are part of Phase 2 of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project in Santa Clara, San Mateo, and Alameda Counties.
  3. A grant of up to $121,000 to Sonoma Land Trust to augment the grant of $1,241,000 authorized by the Conservancy on February 15, 2024 and subsequently augmented by $170,500 to plan for ecological  restoration of 280 acres of baylands and alluvial fan in the Tolay Creek Baylands in Sonoma County by conducting community engagement, preparing preliminary designs and environmental compliance documents, and developing a permitting strategy. This augmentation is needed to allow for payment of indirect costs
  4. A grant of up to $1,448,400 to the Petaluma River Park Foundation to augment the Conservancy grants of $1,395,800, authorized on December 1, 2022, and of $57,120, authorized on November 21, 2024, and augmented by $148,880 on December 3, 2024, for the Petaluma River Park Planning Project, consisting of community engagement, park plan development, specific project designs, research and design of interpretive materials under the Coastal Stories Grant Program, and environmental review associated with development of Petaluma River Park in Petaluma, Sonoma County
  5. A grant of up to $2,000,000 to the Marin Audubon Society to complete the Greater Bahia Wetlands Acquisition, which consists of acquiring the approximately 323-acre Leveroni property located along the Petaluma River in Marin County for protection, restoration, and enhancement of natural resources and wildlife habitat; protection of cultural resources; and potential public access compatible with those purposes.
  6. A grant of up to $2,769,000 to American Canyon Community and Parks Foundation to undertake the Napa River Ecology Center, Implementation Phase, consisting of retrofitting a defunct corporation yard into an accessible, environmental education center that includes educational and interpretive elements, climate resiliency features, and connector trails in Napa County.
  7. A grant of up to $2,640,000 to the City of Alameda to conduct community engagement; to prepare plans, designs, environmental review documents, and permit applications; and to coordinate permitting for the Bay Farm Island Near-Term Sea Level Rise Adaptation Project, which consists of a levee, nature-based shoreline protection, and an updated pump station along the northern shoreline of Bay Farm Island, and interim drainage improvements including raising grades along Island Drive, in the City of Alameda.
  8. Authorization to: 1) enter into a Federal Cost Share Agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the purpose of investigating the region’s flood adaptation needs, identifying priority locations and stakeholders, and supporting capacity building for San Francisco Bay shoreline multi-benefit flood risk management projects; and disburse up to $150,000 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Conservancy’s contribution to the Federal Cost Share Agreement, and 2) disburse up to $693,000 to the Bay Area Council Foundation to conduct an economic analysis of the potential for local governments to use policy tools to direct a portion of private sector redevelopment funding to San Francisco Bay shoreline multi-benefit flood risk management projects and to conduct outreach about federal and regional funding for along the Bay shoreline in the 9-county Bay Area
  9. Authorization to (1) enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; in which the Conservancy is the non-federal sponsor for the Corps’s placement of dredged sediment from federal dredging projects at the Cullinan Ranch, Montezuma, Eden Landing, and Hamilton-Bel Marin Keys wetland restoration sites on the shoreline of San Francisco Bay in Alameda, Solano, and Marin counties; 2) disburse to the Corps $13,900,000, including $12,000,000 from a grant to the Conservancy from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, pursuant to the Memorandum of Agreement; and 3) adoption of findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.
  10. A grant of up to $410,000 to the Coastal Corridor Alliance to complete a wetland restoration feasibility study which will include planning tasks and biological analyses to restore and enhance approximately 130 acres of degraded wetland and riparian habitat in the Frank and Joan Randall Preserve, formerly known as Banning Ranch, in the City of Newport Beach in Orange County.
  11. A grant of up to $225,000 to two nonprofit organizations and one government agency for three projects that facilitate and enhance the public’s opportunities to explore the Santa Ana River. Participants will visit locations along the Santa Ana River and various tributaries in San Bernardino, Riverside, and Orange counties.
  12. A grant of an additional $1,500,000 to the City of Oceanside to augment a grant previously authorized by the Conservancy on June 6, 2024 in the amount of $1,643,344, for a total authorized amount of $3,143,344, to undertake the Loma Alta Slough Wetland Enhancement Project, consisting of the enhancement of 5.8 acres of coastal wetlands in the City of Oceanside in San Diego County.
  13. A grant of up to $2,700,000 to augment the Conservancy’s previously authorized grant to the City of Imperial Beach for the Bayshore Bikeway Resiliency Project, consisting of conducting outreach and planning and preparing designs, environmental compliance documents, and permit applications needed to retrofit a 1.2-mile segment of the Bayshore Bikeway into a multi-benefit community flood protection and ecosystem resilience corridor in Imperial Beach, San Diego County.
  14. A grant of $5,917,914 of funds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to The Nature Conservancy to augment the State Coastal Conservancy grant authorized on February 15, 2024 in the amount of $35,000,000, and subsequently augmented by the Executive Officer by $125,223, for a total authorized amount of $41,043,137, to (1) undertake the first phase of the Beach Restoration and Public Access Project, consisting of final design, permitting, and implementation of restoration and public access improvements on 280 acres at Ormond Beach, and management of the Ormond Beach wetlands; and (2) to expand the scope of the first phase to include final design and permitting of an additional 108 acres, and possible implementation of restoration and public access improvements on the additional 108 acres in Ventura County
  15. A grant of up to $385,442 to five non-profit organizations for five community-based dune, wetland, and stream restoration projects on approximately 41 acres in Ventura, Los Angeles, and San Diego Counties
  16. A grant of up to $1,242,182 to the City of Ventura to engage the community and to undertake the Pierpont Beach Management Plan, consisting of site assessment and engineering studies, design and conceptual planning for living shoreline and sand management activities, an implementation plan for a preferred alternative suite of projects, preparation of an environmental compliance documents, and preparation of permit applications at Pierpont Beach in Ventura County
  17.  Authorization for the Humboldt County Resource Conservation District (HCRCD) to disburse up to $500,000 of the Conservancy’s previously granted North Coast Wildfire Resilience Planning and Implementation Grant Program funds to Sanctuary Forest to implement the Vanauken Creek Fuel Break Project, consisting of creating shaded fuel breaks and conducting fuel reduction through forest thinning and prescribed burning on a total area of approximately 597 acres near the community of Whitethorn in Humboldt County; and adoption of findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.
  18. A grant of up to $1,239,300 to Save the Redwoods League for the Founders Grove Renewal and Restoration Project, consisting of restoration of a 0.75-acre old-growth coast redwood grove, building a new mile-long accessible trail and pedestrian bridge, and installation of interpretive and wayfinding signage in the Founders Grove area of Humboldt Redwoods State Park in Humboldt County, and adoption of findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.
  19. A grant of up to $1,500,000 to Sonoma County Regional Parks to replace the aging icehouse at Spud Point Marina, Bodega Bay, western Sonoma County.
  20. A grant of up to $1,066,000 to Humboldt County Resource Conservation District to undertake the Jacoby Creek Restoration Planning Project, consisting of conducting studies, developing approximately three conceptual designs, collaborating with the community and tribes to select one design for advancement to a 30% project design, and preparing environmental compliance documents to enhance creek habitat and reduce flood risk in the Jacoby Creek watershed in the community of Bayside and the City of Arcata, Humboldt County.
  21. A grant of up to $3,050,000 to the Sonoma Land Trust for the Osprey Hill Ranch Acquisition Project, consisting of acquisition of a 365-acre ranch for public access and for natural resources, habitat, open space, agriculture, and cultural resources protection, restoration, and management in Sonoma County.
  22. A grant of up to $1,500,000 to the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District to implement the Ukiah West Hills Project, which consists of reducing fuels on 270-370 acres in the Ukiah Western Hills in Mendocino County.
  23. A grant of up to $2,000,000 to one tribe and one nonprofit organization to carry out implementation projects that will improve forest health and wildfire resiliency in the vicinity of Gasquet, Del Norte County and in the vicinity of Somes Bar, Humboldt County.
  24. A grant of up to $275,000 to the City of Capitola to undertake the Esplanade Park Coastal Access Enhancement and Adaptation Plan, consisting of planning and conceptual design for climate-resilient improvements at Esplanade Park in Santa Cruz County.
  25. A grant of up to $950,000 to San Mateo County to augment the Conservancy grant previously authorized on March 24, 2022 for construction of public access improvements and visitor-serving amenities at the Don Horsley Park at Tunitas Creek Beach in San Mateo County, expansion of the project to include stabilization of two hillslopes above Tunitas Creek to protect the public access improvements, and adoption of findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.
  26. A grant of up to $507,500 to Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara to undertake the Santa Barbara Ocean Collective Shoreside Infrastructure Planning project, consisting of engaging tribes and other stakeholders; conducting technical studies; preparing permit applications; and advancing to 60% design plans to develop an unused 16,000 square foot lot on the Santa Barbara City College campus into a community boat yard.
  27. A grant of up to $2,015,000 to the City of Santa Barbara to undertake the Lower Sycamore Creek Flood Mitigation and Restoration Planning Project, consisting of completing technical studies; conducting public outreach; evaluating design alternatives; and preparing 30% overall project design, 60% channel restoration design, environmental compliance documents, and permit applications for restoration of lower Sycamore Creek in Santa Barbara County.
  28. A grant of up to $2,000,000 to the Peninsula Open Space Trust to acquire the 196-acre San Gregorio Ranch to protect, restore, and enhance natural resources and wildlife habitat, including wildlife connectivity, and for public access and compatible agriculture use in San Gregorio, San Mateo County.