2026/27 Effectiveness Monitoring Committee Request for Research Proposals to test the California Forest Practice Rules and related regulations

2026/27 Effectiveness Monitoring Committee Request for Research Proposals to test the California Forest Practice Rules and related regulations is sponsored by California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. Funds scientific research to test the efficacy of California Forest Practice Rules and other natural resource protection statutes, addressing watershed science, wildlife concerns, and wildfire hazards.

2026/27 Effectiveness Monitoring Committee Request for Research Proposals to test the California Forest Practice Rules and related regulations - California Grants Portal 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.

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 (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. Matching Funding Requirement: Matching funding is not required, but is strongly encouraged.

The date (and time, where applicable) by which all applications must be submitted to the grantmaker. Time listed as “00:00” equates to midnight. Expected award announcement The date on which the grantor expects to announce the recipient(s) of the grant.

The length of time during which the grant money must be utilized. Total estimated available funding The total projected dollar amount of the grant. Expected number of awards A single grant opportunity may represent one or many awards.

Some grantors may know in advance the exact number of awards to be given. Others may indicate a range. Some may wish to and wait until the application period closes before determining how many awards to offer; in this case, a value of “Dependent” will display.

Estimated amount per award Grant opportunities representing multiple awards may offer awards in the same amount or in varied amounts. Some may wish to wait until the application period closes before determining per-award amounts; in this case, a value of “Dependent” will display. Letter of Intent Required?

Certain grants require that the recipient(s) provide a letter of intent. Requires Matched Funding? Certain grants require that the recipient(s) be able to fully or partially match the grant award amount with another funding source.

The funding source allocated to fund the grant. It may be either State or Federal (or a combination of both), and be tied to a specific piece of legislation, a proposition, or a bond number. The Timber Regulation and Forest Restoration Fund (TRFR), which funds EMC-supported research projects, is directed by AB 1492 to develop ecological performance measures for state and private forestland management.

The manner in which the grant funding will be delivered to the awardee. Funding methods include reimbursements (where the recipient spends out-of-pocket and is reimbursed by the grantor) and advances (where the recipient spends received grant funds directly).

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. If funding for the full three years is awarded to one new project, project solicitation may not occur in the subsequent two FYs. State agencies/departments recommend you read the full grant guidelines before applying.

For questions about this grant, contact: Kristina Wolf, 1-916-653-8007, kristina. wolf@bof. ca.

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