California Natural Resources Agency

The California Natural Resources Agency is proud to announce the establishment of the new $100 million Tribal Nature-Based Solutions Program. This Program was developed in response to the consultations and input received from California Native American tribes during the tribal consultations on Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-82-20 (Nature-Based Solutions Executive Order), the Pathways to 30x30 Strategy, and Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy. The California Natural Resources Agency is committed to working towards meaningful partnerships with California Native American tribes in the implementation of our nature-based solutions policies and programs.  The Tribal Nature-Based Solutions program and grant funds are part of this commitment and will be available to assist California Native American tribes in advancing multi-benefit nature-based solutions priorities for their communities.

In January 2023, the California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) approved the disbursement of $1 million to establish a Tribal Small Grants Program to provide dedicated funding to California Native American tribes and tribally led entities in support of work that advances tribes’ priorities for conservation, management, and stewardship, as well as the goals in OPC’s Strategic Plan and Tribal Engagement Strategy. The OPC Tribal Small Grants program will be part of the Tribal Nature-Based Solutions program to assist California Native American tribes in advancing multi-benefit nature-based solutions in the coast and ocean.

To learn more about the Tribal Nature-Based Solutions logo, please read our blog post explaining the importance of protecting and respecting culturally important native species. 

Tribal Nature-Based Solutions Grant Applicants moving on to Step 2

The California Natural Resources Agency is excited about the Tribal Nature-Based Solutions grant program. Below you will find a list of applicants moving forward in to Step 2. We highly encourage working and collaborating with tribes with close ancestral ties to proposed project areas.

Tribal Nature-Based Solutions grant guidelines

Tribal Nature-Based Solutions grant project summaries

Important Due Dates and Timelines for the Tribal Nature-Based Solutions

Standard Grant Process

• July 31, 2023 – Solicitation Release.
• August 1, 2023 – February 6, 2024 - Office Hours: Fridays 2:00pm – 3:00pm.
• September 29, 2023 - Deadline for Submitting Preliminary Project Proposals (Step 1) by 5:00pm PST.
• October 23, 2023 - Anticipated Notice of Invitation to Submit Full Project Proposals (Step 2).
• February 23, 2024 - Deadline for Submitting Full Project Proposals Applications (Step 2) by 5:00pm PST February 23, 2024.
• Late April to Early May, 2024 - Anticipated Timeline for Step 3-4 Review and submission.

To support applicants navigating the Tribal Nature-Based Solutions program, CNRA has developed the following application forms and templates based on each step of the grant program. Applicants are encouraged to read the entirety of the Tribal Nature-Based Solutions grant guidelines, as the full grant guidelines contain important information about the grant program.

Our Grant team is available to assist with any questions regarding the Step 2 guidelines. We currently host office hours every Friday from 2pm -3pm and will continue to do so up until Step 2 applications are accepted on February 23, 2024.