Department of Fish and Game

Natural Community Conservation Planning (NCCP)

Local Assistance Grants

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) offers grants to public and non-profit entities for urgent tasks associated with implementation of approved NCCPs, or NCCPs anticipated to be approved within 12 months of grant application.

DFG works with plan participants to identify the most urgent implementation tasks each year. Eligible applicants are encouraged to work with local DFG staff to plan and develop proposals that meet these needs well in advance of proposal deadlines.   

A procedural guide is available to assist interested entities with application and administration of these grants.  The guide contains eligibility criteria, application and submission procedures, project administration guidance, and DFG contact information.

Note: To view the “pdf” documents below, click the icon to download and install the Adobe Acrobat Reader, free from Adobe, Inc.

2007 Local Assistance Grants – DFG will be accepting concept proposal submissions for 2007 funding.  Please refer to the procedural guide and follow the instructions in the concept proposal application package.  Concept proposals are due July 16, 2007. For questions about these grants, please send an email .

Document File Size
Procedural Guide LAG Procedural Guidelines 2007.pdf 193 kb
Concept Proposal Application Package LAG Concept Application 2007.xls 104 kb
Full Application Proposal Package LAG Full Application 2007.xls 88 kb
Sample Resolution LAGSampleResolution.doc 25 kb
Nondiscrimination Compliance Statement (STD. 19) Std019.pdf 23 kb
Drug-free Workplace Certification (STD. 21) Std021.pdf 23 kb
Payee Data Record (STD.204) Std204.pdf 161 kb

Prior Years Local Assistance Grants.

Click on the links below to see Local Assistance Grants list from each year: 

2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002,  2001, and 2000.

ESA Section 6 Grants

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offers annual grants to states to support conservation planning and purchases of vital habitat for threatened and endangered fish, wildlife, and plant species. The grants are authorized by Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act.

The grant program was established to help reduce potential conflicts between the conservation of threatened and endangered species, and land development and use. The grants support the creation and implementation of Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs). A Habitat Conservation Plan is an agreement between a landowner and the Service that allows the landowner to incidentally take a threatened or endangered species in the course of otherwise lawful activities when the landowner agrees to conservation measures to minimize and mitigate the impact of the taking. A Habitat Conservation Plan may also be developed by a county or state to cover certain activities of all landowners within their jurisdiction and may address multiple species.

California's Natural Community Conservation Planning (NCCP) program complements the Service's HCP program for conserving endangered species on private lands. The grants enable the Department of Fish and Game – working in partnership with private landowners, conservation groups and other agencies and organizations – to support conservation planning efforts and buy and protect habitat to conserve threatened and endangered species above and beyond the requirements for mitigation.

Grants are offered for HCPs under two programs:

  1. The Habitat Conservation Planning Assistance Program provides grants for creating HCPs, through funding of tasks necessary in the planning process: for example, baseline surveys and inventories, document preparation, outreach, environmental documents, and similar planning activities.
     
  2. The Habitat Conservation Plan Land Acquisition Program provides grants for land acquisitions associated with approved HCPs. Grants do not fund any mitigation required of an HCP permittee, but are instead intended to support land purchases that complement actions associated with the HCP.

California Competes Successfully - The Department of Fish and Game and local HCP sponsors have been very successful in the national competition for grant funds. A combination of partners, large geographic areas, multiple species, high match amounts, and high conservation importance has led to significant grant awards each year.

Grant Process - The Section 6 grants are specifically grants to states, and thus the Department applies for these funds. The Department works closely with our local partners and local Service staff to prepare grant applications and to administer awarded funds. These Section 6 grants require a contribution of a minimum of 25 percent of the projects' total costs by non-federal project partners. The Service typically announces the annual grant cycle sometime in June. To pursue such a grant, contact your local Department of Fish and Game office.