​The Nature Conservancy led with Stanford’s Natural Capital Project and Water in the West to demonstrate the potential for strategically restoring agricultural land in the San Joaquin Valley. The study highlights how it could be possible to strike a new balance by creating natural areas while reducing water demand and helping to recover a unique community of critically endangered species. The article is available here. For additional reading, you can find a Q&A with lead author, Ben Bryant, and TNC’s Rodd Kelsey here on Stanford's Water in the West website. 
 
You can find a summary brief on the study with recommendations here. It also showed up on Maven's notebook today.

From Abigail Hart, Project Director for the California Water Program

Pre-applications due Monday, April 13, 2020

The Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) is inviting grant proposals for climate adaptation and resiliency projects that result in enduring benefits. This 2020 Proposal Solicitation Notice (PSN) allows for the following project types:

₋ Projects that acquire perpetual conservation easements over natural and working lands and contain long-term conservation agreements that provide climate adaptation and resilience benefits through protecting transitional habitats for at least 50 years. At least 60 percent of the funds shall be made available for grants for this purpose.
₋ Projects that develop and implement natural and working lands adaptation and resiliency planning that prioritizes the conservation and management of natural and working lands, and provides technical assistance for natural and working land managers.

This Proposal Solicitation Notice (PSN) for the Climate Adaptation and Resilience Program (Program) provides application information specific to the 2020 grant cycle. Up to $8 million may be awarded in grants selected through this PSN, with $6 million set aside for acquisition of conservation easements, and the remaining $2 million for planning and technical assistance projects. While this PSN does not operate under strict funding limits by project type, the most competitive request amounts usually run between $100,000 and $300,000 for planning and technical assistance projects, and between $300,000 and $1,000,000 for conservation easement projects. Applicants should thoroughly review the WCB Climate Adaptation and Resilience Program Guidelines (Guidelines). Additional planning resources include:
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• 2019 WCB Strategic Plan Update
• State Wildlife Action Plan
• Areas of Conservation Emphasis Viewer

Questions related to this PSN may also be directed to WCB via e-mail (climatewcb@wildlife.ca.gov). 

More information can be found HERE.