2026/27 Effectiveness Monitoring Committee Request for Research Proposals to test the California Forest Practice Rules and related regulations is sponsored by Board of Forestry.

The Effectiveness Monitoring Committee is an advisory body to the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, intended to fund robust scientific research aimed at testing the efficacy of the California Forest Practice Rules and other natural resource protection statutes, laws, codes, and associated regulations, which address natural resource issues including, but not limited to, watershed science, wildlife concerns, and wildfire hazard.

The Effectiveness Monitoring Committee (EMC) is seeking project proposals that: (1) Address one or more of the EMC’s Research Themes and Critical Monitoring Questions and; (2) Address natural resource protection issues that are important for California forestlands. The critical monitoring questions are organized under 12 Research Themes.

Six prioritized critical questions were determined by vote amongst the current EMC members at the beginning of the calendar year: Are the FPRs and associated regulations effective in... Question 1h … managing WLPZs to reduce or minimize potential fire behavior and rate of spread?

Question 2a … minimizing management-related sediment delivery from forest management activities to watercourse channels at the watershed and sub-watershed level in managed watersheds? Question 6c … managing fuel loads, vegetation patterns and fuel breaks for fire hazard reduction? Question 6d … managing forest structure and stocking standards to promote wildfire resilience?

Question 6e … achieving post-fire recovery and restoration? Question 12a … improving overall forest wildfire resilience and the ability of forests to respond to climate change (e.g., in response to drought or bark beetle; reducing plant water stress) and variability, and extreme weather events (evaluate ecosystem functional response to fuel reduction and forest health treatments)? FUNDING AVAILABILITY.

Funding available for newly proposed projects is anticipated as follows: $1,111,459 over three FYs beginning in 2026/27, comprising: $261,459 in FY 2026/27; $425,000 in FY 2027/28; and $425,000 in FY 2028/29. AWARD LIMITATIONS. Applicants requesting more than the stated annual amount available for funding will not be considered.

While the EMC may choose to fund projects that span multiple FYs up to the annual funding cap, the EMC generally prefers to fund multiple research projects annually. Proposers should keep this in mind when developing their project and annual budget requests. Longer-term projects (greater than three years) may re-apply for funding for additional years through the competitive grants process advertised in the EMC’s Request for Proposals.

ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES. Eligible projects will test one or more specific FPRs or other rule or regulation under the Board’s jurisdiction and which addresses one or more of the EMC’s Research Themes and Critical Monitoring Questions. Proposed projects must clearly apply to management activities on private timberlands in California.

Projects on public land may be eligible for EMC funding provided they clearly apply to the activities and systems that also exist on non-federal timberland. ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS.

Eligible applicants are local, state, and federal agencies including federal land management agencies; institutions of higher education; special purpose districts (e.g., public utilities districts, fire districts, conservation districts, and ports); Native American tribes; private landowners; for-profit entities; and non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations.

STATE OF CALIFORNIA THE NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY Wade Crowfoot, Secretary Gavin Newsom, Governor > P. O. Box 944246 SACRAMENTO, CA 94244-2460 Website: www.

bof. fire. ca.

gov (916) 653-8007 > The Board’s mission is to lead California in developing policies and programs that serve the public interest in environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable management of forest and rangelands, and a fire protection system that protects and serves the people of the state.

Page 1 ## EFFECTIVENESS MONITORING PROGRAM GRANT GUIDELINES ## FISCAL YEAR 2026-2027 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Initial Project Concept Proposals Due Monday, May 18, 2026 Effectiveness Monitoring Committee State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection I. EFFECTIVENESS MONITORING COMMITTEE PROGRAM SUMMARY The Effectiveness Monitoring Committee (EMC) is an advisory body to the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection (Board).

The EMC funds robust scientific research testing the efficacy of the California Forest Practice Rules (FPRs) and other natural resource protection statutes, laws, codes, and related regulations (collectively, “FPRs and related regulations”).

The EMC creates an active feedback loop by facilitating the transfer of research results to inform policy by working with Principal Investigators (PIs) to produce white papers, publish scientific reports and journal articles, and present policy implications to the Board for consideration.

The FPRs and related regulations address a variety of natural resource issues including, but not limited to, watershed science, wildlife concerns, and wildfire hazards. As a result, projects funded by the EMC span a wide array of topics and approaches but are generally focused on timberlands and rangelands in California, consistent with the Board’s jurisdiction.

The EMC is seeking project proposals that: (1) Address one or more of the EMC’s Research Themes and Critical Monitoring (2) Address natural resource protection issues that are important for California forestlands . https://34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint. azureedge.

net/-/media/bof-website/board- committees/effectiveness-monitoring-committee---emc/files/research-themes-and-critical-monitoring- questions. pdf?

rev=0a13122f3d264c80ba60cfb713647113&hash=3C7D4D8E09ABFC4EF64D401062D09A7 EThe Board’s mission is to lead California in developing policies and programs that serve the public interest in environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable management of forest and rangelands, and a fire protection system that protects and serves the people of the state.

Page 2 The Critical Monitoring Questions are organized under 12 Research Themes : Projects that address multiple EMC Research Themes and CMQs 2 will generally score higher than those that only address a single theme and/or Critical Monitoring Question (CMQ) .

Up to six prioritized CMQs are determined by vote of the current EMC members at the beginning of each calendar year, and projects that address a prioritized CMQ may score higher than those that do not address a prioritized CMQ.

While any compelling research that addresses EMC Research Themes and/or CMQs are eligible for funding, the EMC has prioritized SIX (6) CMQs for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026/2027: Are the FPRs and related regulations effective in… 1) … managing WLPZs to reduce or minimize potential fire behavior and rate of spread?

(Question 1h) 2) … minimizing management-related sediment delivery from forest management activities to watercourse channels at the watershed and sub-watershed level in managed watersheds? (Question 2a) 3) … managing fuel loads, vegetation patterns and fuel breaks for fire hazard reduction? (Question 6c ) 4) … managing forest structure and stocking standards to promote wildfire resilience?

(Question 6d) 5) … managing forest structure and stocking standards to promote wildfire resilience? (Question 6e) 6) … improving overall forest wildfire resilience and the ability of forests to respond to climate change (e.g., in response to drought or bark beetle; reducing plant water stress) and variability, and extreme weather events (evaluate ecosystem functional response to fuel reduction and forest health treatments)?

(Question 12a) > 2https://34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint. azureedge. net/-/media/bof-website/board- > committees/effectiveness-monitoring-committee---emc/files/research-themes-and-critical-monitoring- > questions.

pdf? rev=0a13122f3d264c80ba60cfb713647113&hash=3C7D4D8E09ABFC4EF64D401062D09A7 7. Wildlife habitat: species and nest sites 8.

Wildlife habitat: seral stages 9. Wildlife habitat: cumulative impacts 10. Wildlife habitat: structures 12.

Climate and wildfire resilience 1. Watercourse and Lake Protection Zone (WLPZ) riparian function 2. Watercourse channel sediment 3.

Road and WLPZ sediment 6. Wildfire hazard The Board’s mission is to lead California in developing policies and programs that serve the public interest in environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable management of forest and rangelands, and a fire protection system that protects and serves the people of the state.

Page 3 Further, the EMC encourages proposals that address Research Themes and CMQs that have not been addressed by previously funded projects. See the EMC’s website 3 for a full listing of past and existing EMC projects in the EMC-Supported Monitoring Projects table at the bottom of the webpage. Also see the Crosswalk 4 identifying links between previously funded projects and the EMC’s Research Themes and CMQs .

5 Note, projects addressing CMQs outside of the prioritized questions will also be considered for EMC funding. Funding available for newly proposed projects is anticipated as follows: $1,111,459 over three FYs beginning in 2026/27, comprising: $261,459 in FY 2026/27; $425,000 in FY 2027/28; and $425,000 in FY 2028/29.

• Funds are not available for encumbrance to any project in any FY until the Governor signs the budget bill on or around July 1, 2026 . • Project costs incurred prior to execution of a grant agreement and signature by an authorized signer will not be reimbursed . Applicants requesting more than the stated annual amount available for funding will not be considered.

In the case that anticipated EMC funding for the full three years is allocated to one new project, a Request for Proposals will not be released for the next two FYs. While the EMC may choose to fund projects that span multiple FYs—up to the annual funding cap—the EMC prefers to fund multiple research projects each year. Applicants should keep this in mind when developing their proposal and annual budget requests.

Longer-term projects (longer than three years) may re-apply for funding for additional years through the competitive grants process advertised in the EMC’s Request for Proposals. For multi-year projects, annual allocations are dependent on demonstrated progress towards project completion as described in the project proposal.

Project progress will be reviewed annually prior to encumbrance of award funding allocated to subsequent year(s) of the project to ensure that satisfactory progress has been made towards the objectives and deliverables as stated in the project proposal and scope of work. > 3https://bof. fire.

ca. gov/board-committees/effectiveness-monitoring-committee/ > 4https://34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint. azureedge.

net/-/media/bof-website/board- > committees/effectiveness-monitoring-committee---emc/files/projects-and-cmq-matrix-2026- > 02. pdf? rev=da8767f2ea1f47b091a78ad88e458d67&hash=7F1F7AE42786336AF680FDACE98B10D7 > 5https://34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint.

azureedge. net/-/media/bof-website/board- > committees/effectiveness-monitoring-committee---emc/files/research-themes-and-critical-monitoring- > questions. pdf?

rev=210b8b55a2564600a2dcc70bf1f82e1f&hash=2B544FF6B2B699A4AF4B17F13B34AB61 The Board’s mission is to lead California in developing policies and programs that serve the public interest in environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable management of forest and rangelands, and a fire protection system that protects and serves the people of the state.

Page 4 To receive EMC approval, all eligible costs must be incurred during the project period as defined by the start and end date shown on the grant award. Any pre-award costs incurred prior to the start date of the project period will not be reimbursed. IV.

TIMELINE AND DEADLINES A general timeline for review of EMC project proposals and funding decisions is as follows: Table 1. Approximate Timeline for Effectiveness Monitoring Committee Project Proposal Submission and Administration. * Subject to change * Mar 2026 May 2026 June 2026 Jul 2026 Aug 2026 Sept 2026 Winter 2026 The Initial Concept Proposal for the 2026/2027 FY is due May 18, 2026 (see Table 1 ).

If endorsed, the EMC will request a more detailed Full Project Proposal, generally within a week of review at a public meeting. Full Project Proposals will be requested by email and will generally be due in July , or by the date provided in the email. All proposals will be screened for eligibility.

Proposals must be complete and submitted by an eligible applicant. Proposals that are incomplete or do not meet the criteria will not be considered. Eligible projects will be effectiveness monitoring projects which test one or more specific FPRs or other rule or regulation under the Board’s jurisdiction and which address one or more of the EMC’s Research Themes and CMQs .

6 Proposed projects must clearly apply to management activities on private timberlands in California; for example, projects on public land may be eligible for EMC funding provided they clearly apply to the activities and systems that also exist on privately-owned, non-federal timberland. B.

ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS Eligible applicants are local, state, and federal agencies including federal land management agencies; institutions of higher education; special districts (e.g., public > 6https://34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint. azureedge. net/-/media/bof-website/board- > committees/effectiveness-monitoring-committee---emc/files/research-themes-and-critical-monitoring- > questions.

pdf? rev=0a13122f3d264c80ba60cfb713647113&hash=3C7D4D8E09ABFC4EF64D401062D09A7 > EThe Board’s mission is to lead California in developing policies and programs that serve the public interest in environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable management of forest and rangelands, and a fire protection system that protects and serves the people of the state.

Page 5 utilities districts, fire districts, conservation districts, and ports); Native American tribes; private landowners; for-profit entities; and non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations (e.g., fire safe councils, land trusts). Proposed projects should focus on large, landscape-scale forestlands composed of one or more landowners, which may cover multiple jurisdictions.

Proposed projects that have a wide geographic scope or a wide applicability of results within the state are preferred. Eligible projects awarded in the 2026/27 FY must complete all grant-related work by E. TRANSPARENCY AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST All proposals, requests for funding, evaluation results, and related project materials will be made publicly available on the EMC’s website .

7 Final results and data from EMC- approved projects will also be publicly available. If an EMC member is the principal investigator or a collaborator on a proposed project, the EMC member will recuse themself from evaluating that project or participating in funding recommendations for that project.

Applicants and EMC members shall disclose to the EMC any potential financial or non-financial conflicts of interest related to the proposal, including direct or indirect financial or non-financial relationships with the EMC, Board, Department, or applicants. The EMC member with the potential conflict of interest will abstain from voting on any items that relate to the conflict and avoid influencing any related decision.

For-profit organizations or entities that could benefit (either directly or indirectly) financially from the proposed project outcomes may only participate as an in-kind contributor and may not participate in any activities or analyses that result in project findings or outcomes.

For-profit organizations or individuals must clearly detail their role(s) in the proposed research, such as in-kind contributions of labor, equipment, or access to land. All research activities related to the collecting or analyzing data or reporting on the results must be performed by research institutions or individuals affiliated with such institutions. VI.

APPLICATION SUBMISSION INFORMATION Initial Concept Proposals are solicited annually in March. Applicants must submit an Initial Concept Proposal including the components described in this Request for > 7https://bof. fire.

ca. gov/board-committees/effectiveness-monitoring-committee/ The Board’s mission is to lead California in developing policies and programs that serve the public interest in environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable management of forest and rangelands, and a fire protection system that protects and serves the people of the state. Page 6 Proposals (see this Section, Item b.

i. Initial Concept Proposal ). The Initial Concept Proposals are due May 18, 2026 (see Table 1 ).

Grant information may also be found by searching for the “Effectiveness Monitoring Committee” on the California Grants Portal . 8 Please be advised that while applicants are encouraged to review past accepted projects on the EMC website ,8 previous proposals may not adhere to the current formatting or submission standards. Files for past projects are posted in the EMC Supported Projects Research Deliverables table online.

If endorsed, the EMC will request a Full Project Proposal in June, which will generally be due in July on the date provided in the email notification (see this Section VI, Item b. ii. Full Project Proposal ).

The Full Project Proposal must include additional project information and a detailed Budget broken down by year. The EMC will evaluate the project and consider it for final approval and funding recommendations to the Board. All sections must be provided as described in these guidelines and may be broken into further subsections if necessary.

There is no page requirement or page limit for the Full Project Proposal. All information necessary to complete an application package can be found on the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection’s EMC website ,8 along with the further details described below. B.

CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION Note that while not required in the Initial Concept Proposal, please ensure that your agency, business, or organization has an active registration in the System for Award Management 9 (SAM) by Full Project Proposal. The approval process for a new or renewal SAM registration can take several months. Please plan accordingly.

You must include a screenshot of the SAM registration page in the application appendices to be eligible for an award. See Item B-f-vii, below, for additional information. i.

Initial Concept Proposal The Initial Concept Proposal package must include all information listed below. Complete applications must be received by Monday, May 18, 2026 at 5:00 pm PDT (see Table 1 ). Any documents submitted separately will not be accepted or considered.

Proposals will NOT be accepted by fax machine or hard copy. Information on how to submit your proposal is found in Section IX. Proposal Submission and Contact Information .

Components that must be included in the Initial Concept Proposal are: c. Project # (leave blank; to be assigned by EMC) d. Principal Investigator(s) (PI) > 8https://www.

grants. ca. gov/ > 9https://sam.

gov/content/home The Board’s mission is to lead California in developing policies and programs that serve the public interest in environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable management of forest and rangelands, and a fire protection system that protects and serves the people of the state. Page 7 e. Affiliation(s) of PI(s) and Address(es) g.

Primary Contact Phone Number(s) h. Primary Email Contact(s) of PI(s) i. Name(s) and Affiliation(s) of Collaborator(s) j.

Project Description. In less than 2,000 words , provide a problem statement, research question, description of methods, including analysis and interpretation, and identified monitoring location(s). Include: i) Project Duration (Years/Months) ii) Background and Justification iii) Objectives and Scope iv) Research Methods.

Describe the methods for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting the data. v) Scientific Uncertainty and Geographic Application. Please consult the specific geographic locations, counties, or regions of the state to which this project may have benefits; if benefits are anticipated to apply across the state, indicate “statewide”.

If the benefits are also anticipated to occur outside of the state, please explain. Projects may occur on sites under any kind of land ownership, but research results must be relevant to private timberlands. vi) Collaborations and Project Feasibility k.

Critical Question Theme and Forest Practice Rules or Regulations Addressed. Please identify the Critical Questions by number and letter (as identified in the EMC Research Themes and CMQs ), 11 and the related regulations by number. Clearly describe how your project will address these questions and the efficacy of each regulation.

l. Requested Funding. Please provide the total amount of funding requested from the EMC, broken down by year of expenditure (by FY, i.e., from July 1 through June 30 of each year), with a brief justification of costs not to > 10 https://34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint.

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pdf? rev=0a13122f3d264c80ba60cfb713647113&hash=3C7D4D8E09ABFC4EF64D401062D09A7 > EThe Board’s mission is to lead California in developing policies and programs that serve the public interest in environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable management of forest and rangelands, and a fire protection system that protects and serves the people of the state. Page 8 ii.

Full Project Proposal If the project proposal is endorsed for Full Proposal submission, the Project Proponent will be notified, generally in June, that the Full Project Proposal will be due generally in July on the date provided in the email notification . Applicants must submit all parts of the Full Project Proposal in one email, including any tables, figures, or photos as needed.

Incomplete Full Project Proposals will not be considered. The EMC may request specific or additional clarifying information in its request for a Full Project Proposal. The EMC encourages in-kind contributions from all applicants including for-profit, non-profit, research institutions, or individuals affiliated with such situations.

a. Project Details. Building upon the information provided in the Initial Concept Proposal, please provide additional details for all items described in the Initial Concept Proposal section above in Items B-i-j (Project Description) through B-i-l (Requested Funding) .

In addition, please provide information in your Full Project Proposal as described below for the following Items B-ii-b (Project Deliverables) through B-ii-f (Additional Required Forms): b. Project Deliverables. Project deliverables serve an important role in ensuring state grant funding is spent appropriately.

Describe in a table the anticipated deliverables that would be produced as a result of this research, including presentations, scientific papers, technical reports, analytical methods, or other products utilized to provide scientific translation of the research results. Include a timeline for when each item would be delivered to the EMC. c.

Detailed Project Timeline. Include the approximate months and years at which critical data sampling, analyses, or presentations will occur. The PI(s) will work with EMC project liaison(s) and Board staff to ensure critical steps are completed and deliverables are produced as indicated in the proposal.

The PI(s) will be expected to provide regular updates to the EMC on project status and preliminary results, as well as to provide final presentations to the EMC and the Board at open, public meetings, or other appropriate forums as determined in consultation with the EMC project liaison(s). d. Detailed Budget.

* Please provide the total requested amount of funding along with a line-item budget for each FY of the project using the EMC’s Budget template . 12 The EMC reserves the right to request documentation supporting the reasonable need for the expense, or to show proof of expenditure. Break each "Category" into as many sub-categories as needed to fully describe your budget.

The budget template is locked for editing but > 12 https://34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint. azureedge. net/-/media/bof-website/board- > committees/effectiveness-monitoring-committee---emc/files/emc-budget-template_revised-12-5- > 2025.

xlsx? rev=7a798498850040a8b76431dbdacc8690&hash=07EFBBE57AF92AEBDB30C4DCE5D503C3 The Board’s mission is to lead California in developing policies and programs that serve the public interest in environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable management of forest and rangelands, and a fire protection system that protects and serves the people of the state. Page 9 will allow users to input budget details.

If structural changes to the form are needed to accommodate your budget details, email kristina. wolf@bof. ca.

gov with details of the needed changes. * Note: due to potential delays in the annual posting of the state budget on or after July 1, delays in access to funds may occur until the budget is posted and the fund encumbrance process commences. Please plan accordingly to ensure continued access to funding for up to three months following July 1 by including the anticipated budgetary need in the previous FY ending June 30.

* i) Total Costs. Sum of items in Table 2 , below. ii) Matching or In-Kind Contributions – if any ; matching contributions are encouraged iii) TOTAL EMC Funding Requested Review the descriptions of items in Table 2 , below, and potential forms of documentation that may be required upon submission of invoices to the EMC: Table 2.

Budget Items, Eligible Costs, and Documentation for Invoice Submissions. Eligible Cost Documentation Personnel Salaries and Wages Identify all personnel costs including field technicians, graduate students, Principal Investigators, etc. Show these values as individual rates per unit of time.

List out only job titles for this Salaries & Wages category on the Budget Sheet, then provide job titles and employee names in the Budget Justification. Include salaries and wages of employees employed by the grantee who are DIRECTLY engaged in the execution of the grant project. Limited to actual time spent on the grant project.

Examples of expenditures include time related to site visits and project monitoring, and completion of reporting related to the grant project. Timesheets or similar documentation detailing days and hours worked on the project must be maintained and retained by the grantee for audit purposes, and may be required to support invoicing.

If requested, payroll documentation should show a nexus between time worked on the project and wages paid to the employee after the fact. All salary and wages charged to the grant must tie back to the grantee’s accounting records. Table 2, Continued next page.

The Board’s mission is to lead California in developing policies and programs that serve the public interest in environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable management of forest and rangelands, and a fire protection system that protects and serves the people of the state. Page 10 Table 2, Continued from previous page. Eligible Cost Documentation Cite as actual benefits or a percentage of personnel costs.

Include only the employer contribution share of fringe benefits associated with employees (paid from salaries and wages Budget Item) who are directly engaged in the execution of the grant project. List out only job titles for this Salaries & Wages category on the Budget Sheet, then provide job titles and employee names in the Budget Justification.

This will include Social Security, Medicare, Health Insurance, Pension Plan costs, etc. as applicable for the specific employee. Same documentation as Salaries and Wages. If requested, payroll documentation showing wages and hours paid to the employee and associated fringe benefits.

Backup documentation to be retained by grantee Direct consultant and contractual services necessary to achieve the objectives of the grant.

Examples of contractual costs will be RPF supervision/certification, professional/consultant services (the costs of consultant services necessary for project planning and implementation), fire prevention contractor, etc. Procurement of contractual services should be documented to ensure selection on a competitive basis and documentation of price analysis.

Invoices from Consultant/Contractor identifying expenditure, services performed and period of services. consultant/contractor selection analysis shall be kept by the grantee but available Express as per diem rates specified by CalHR ,13 or verification that such rates are not available to you, such as applying entity’s travel policies and rates.

Travel cost associated with travel to and from project sites, meetings, etc. directly related to the grant project and must be considered reasonable and necessary for the completion of the project. Reimbursement rates shall be consistent with the grantee's written travel policy. Receipts identifying travel cost (i.e. lodging, rental cars).

Mileage must be documented by either employee travel claims signed by the employee or vehicle mileage logs for vehicles owned by the grantee. Per Diem must be documented by employee travel claims. The EMC reserves the right to request a copy of the applying entities’ written travel policies.

Documentation must be kept by the grantee and made available for audit Table 2, Continued next page. > 13 https://hrmanual. calhr.

ca. gov/Home/ManualItem/1/2203 The Board’s mission is to lead California in developing policies and programs that serve the public interest in environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable management of forest and rangelands, and a fire protection system that protects and serves the people of the state. Page 11 Table 2, Continued from previous page.

Eligible Cost Documentation Includes supplies (up to $10,000 per unit cost) that are used in the direct support of the project. Supply costs are only applicable to supplies purchased directly by the grantee. Supplies purchased by contractors must be charged to the “Contractual” category.

Supplies exceeding $500 per unit cost shall be documented to ensure procurement of supplies on a competitive basis and documentation of price analysis and must be kept by the grantee and made available for audit purposes, upon request. Equipment is an item exceeding $10,000 or more per unit cost and has a tangible useful life of more than one year. Indirect costs are NOT allowed for equipment.

Cost to lease equipment to use in the grant project may be charged to the grant. Use of equipment owned by the grantee may be charged to the grant at a rate set by the California Department of Transportation " Labor Surcharge and Equipment Rental Rate " guide. 14 Grantee must include in the application package the proposed use and maintenance plans for equipment after the performance period of the grant.

Disposition of equipment beyond the project performance period is subject to EMC approval; the EMC may elect to reimburse for a portion of the equipment, subject to adjustments for depreciation and the period of time that the equipment will be used in direct association with execution of the grant project.

A cost-benefit analysis to justify the cost of purchasing equipment versus leasing may be requested by the EMC; note, indirect costs are not allowed on the purchase of equipment . Cost of leased equipment charged to the grant must be substantiated with receipts identifying equipment leased, dates of lease, lease rate, and total cost.

Usage of grantee equipment may be required to substantiate use, including an equipment usage log, equipment used, rate, and total rental cost. Cost of equipment purchased shall be substantiated by purchase receipt. Disposition of the equipment must be approved by the EMC in writing at the end of the grant term.

The EMC reserves the right to deny equipment costs that are not deemed reasonable or necessary to execute the grant project. Table 2, Continued next page. > 14 https://dot.

ca. gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/construction/documents/equipment-rental-rates-and-labor- > surcharge/book_2023. pdf The Board’s mission is to lead California in developing policies and programs that serve the public interest in environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable management of forest and rangelands, and a fire protection system that protects and serves the people of the state.

Page 12 Table 2, Continued from previous page. Eligible Cost Documentation Other costs) that do not fit in any of the above categories. Cost must be directly related to the grant project.

Use of equipment owned by the grantee may be charged to the grant at a rate set by the California Department of Transportation (‘Caltrans’) “ Labor Surcharge and Equipment Rental Rate” guide. 15 If the Caltrans guide does not address rates for a particular piece of equipment, grantee must obtain CAL FIRE approval prior to using such equipment.

Costs (such as rent, utilities, phones, general office supplies, etc.) that must be apportioned to the grant are considered indirect unless written justification is submitted and approved by CAL FIRE. Invoices or receipts identifying the item and cost charged to the grant. Documentation must be kept by the grantee and made available for audit purposes, upon request.

Costs associated with doing business that are of a general nature and are incurred to benefit two or more functions within the grantee organization. These costs are not usually identified specifically within the grant agreement, project, or activity, but are necessary for the general operation of the organization.

Examples include salaries and benefits of employees not directly assigned to a project; functions such as personnel, accounting, budgeting, audits, business services, information technology, janitorial, and salaries of supervisors and managers; and rent, utilities, supplies, etc. Functions included as direct versus indirect costs must be applied consistently for all activities within the grantee organization, regardless of fund source.

Documentation related to the determination of the grantee’s indirect cost rate may be requested by the EMC and must be retained by the grantee for audit purposes. Not to exceed 15%. Additionally, only one professor’s summer salary may be included in funding requests.

Indirect costs are applied as a percentage of Direct Costs. Indirect costs may not be applied to equipment purchases. Note: Once a grant agreement is signed, any amendments to the budget would require a formal amendment only if there is a change in funds of more than 10% of the overall budget .

e. Ineligible Costs . The following are ineligible for reimbursement under the grant: i) Costs incurred before or after the Project Performance Period.

ii) Cost of preparing the Project Application or other grant proposals. > 15 https://dot. ca.

gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/construction/documents/equipment-rental-rates-and-labor- > surcharge/book_2023. pdf The Board’s mission is to lead California in developing policies and programs that serve the public interest in environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable management of forest and rangelands, and a fire protection system that protects and serves the people of the state.

Page 13 iii) Overtime, sick time, paid time off or vacation pay for employees and/or contractors. Overtime hours will be reimbursed at the straight time rate. iv) Projects or activities utilizing EMC staff without corresponding reimbursements or requests seeking funding for services already provided by EMC.

v) Late fees, penalties, and bank fees. vi) Any indirect costs applied as a percentage of equipment purchase costs. f.

Additional Required Forms i) Employer Identification Number (EIN). Non-profit applicants shall provide Articles of Incorporation including the Seal from the Secretary of State. Business applicants shall provide proof of active business registration with the California Secretary of State.

ii) Letters of Support. If collaborations or partnerships are noted in the proposal, letters of support or other forms of evidence that partners are aware of and in support of the proposed project should be provided.

Applicants may work cooperatively with local partners to implement projects and achieve an outcome that is larger than the sum of the individual projects that may have been undertaken by each partnering organization independently. Applicants should clearly indicate what work will be completed with partners with funds from this solicitation if partnerships are noted.

iii) Payee Data Record – Form Std 204 16 iv) System for Award Management – Your agency, business, or organization must have an active registration in the System for Award Management 17 (SAM) to apply. Active registration must be maintained throughout the life of the award. You must include a screenshot of the SAM registration page in the application appendices to be eligible for an award.

VII. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION The EMC will conduct a preliminary technical review of all complete Initial Concept Proposals received by the deadline. This review will consider the completeness of the proposals and whether they fall under the FPRs and/or related regulations and are within the scope of the EMC’s Research Themes and CMQs .

18 The EMC will work > 16 https://www. documents. dgs.

ca. gov/dgs/fmc/pdf/std204. pdf > 17 https://sam.

gov/content/home > 18 https://34c031f8-c9fd-4018-8c5a-4159cdff6b0d-cdn-endpoint. azureedge.

net/-/media/bof-website/board- > committees/effectiveness-monitoring-committee---emc/files/research-themes-and-critical-monitoring-The Board’s mission is to lead California in developing policies and programs that serve the public interest in environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable management of forest and rangelands, and a fire protection system that protects and serves the people of the state.

Page 14 with Board staff to screen proposals for