Forest Legacy Program Capacity and Project Development 2026

About this program

CAL FIRE’s Forest Legacy Program funds landscape-scale conservation projects intended to conserve working forests and working forested landscapes. This solicitation supports organizational capacity and the preparation and development of high-quality potential future forest conservation projects. Funding is limited to due diligence and development activities for future conservation easement or fee acquisition projects that may later be submitted for Federal or State Forest Legacy funding or other federal or state conservation programs. Activities may include market analyses, restricted-use appraisals, title reports and document preparation, mineral remoteness reports, land surveys, mapping and GIS products, conservation easement deeds and baseline documents, Phase 1 environmental assessments, forest, agricultural, or grazing management plans, project solicitation and development, organizational staff time, salaries, fringe benefits, travel, supplies, and facilitating land donations. Funding under this opportunity does not guarantee future Federal or State Forest Legacy funding. The application deadline is September 30, 2026, at 23:59. The expected award announcement is October 2026. Total estimated available funding is $500,000, with approximately 4–10 awards of $50,000–$150,000 each. Grantees will submit invoices for reimbursement. The funding source is federal assistance under the Inflation Reduction Act – Forest Legacy Awards, administered through an agreement between CAL FIRE and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service.