NCRP Capacity Grants enhance the capacity of North Coast partner entities to plan and implement landscape scale portfolios of multi-objective projects that achieve the priorities and objectives identified in the NCRP Vision for North Coast Resilience – a Regional Priority Plan funded by the Department of Conservation Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program. The NCRP defines “landscape scale portfolio of multi-objective projects” as including a single large project (hundreds or thousands of acres) or several related projects in a large geographic area (watershed, fireshed, community) that will have a positive impact on multiple objectives. Eligible activities for this NCRP Capacity Grant Program must support the capacity to plan, fund, and implement landscape scale projects that enhance forest health, as well as watershed and community resilience to wildfires.
The application period closed on February 20, 2026. The North Coast Resource Partnership received 50 proposals for organizational capacity enhancement from Tribes, counties, NGOs, RCDs, special districts, and other entities in the North Coast region of California.
NCRP Capacity Grants included two funding tracks. Applicants were encouraged to apply to the funding track that they believed was most appropriate for their entity.
Applications in the two tracks were scored and ranked separately:
• Track One – Developing Basic Capacity intended to support regional partners that have limited capacity and experience in developing and implementing landscape scale multi-benefit projects. Project Portfolios for Track One applicants may be conceptual in nature and costs and acres impacted may be rough estimates. Track One awards range from $35,000-$75,000.
• Track Two – Expanding Existing Capacity intended to support regional partners that have experience with developing and implementing landscape scale multi-benefit projects yet have identified capacity gaps that limit their ability to fully implement their identified project portfolio. Partnerships were strongly encouraged for entities applying for Track Two funding. Entities in Track Two may act as a fiscal sponsor in collaboration with other project partners to expand impact. Track Two awards range from $75,000-$200,000.
For a summary of applicant and project portfolio information: Summary of Applications Received
At the April 17, 2026, NCRP Quarterly Meeting, the Leadership Council considered the projects recommended by the NCRP Resilience Ad Hoc Committee. In some cases, recommended funding amounts were scaled in order to fund as many projects as possible. We are pleased to announce the twenty-two projects approved by the NCRP Leadership Council:
| Entity | Location | Track | Applicant Funding Request | Resilience Ad Hoc Funding Recommendation | Leadership Council Approved Budget |
| Tsnungwe of California | Tribal-North | Track One | $42,000 | 40,000 | 40,000 |
| Nor Rel Muk Band of Wintu Indians of Northern CA | Tribal-Central | Track One | $75,000 | $69,000 | $69,000 |
| Willow Creek Fire Safe Council (WCFSC) | Humboldt/ Trinity | Track One | $75,000 | $73,820 | $73,820 |
| Del Norte Resource Conservation District | Del Norte | Track One | $75,000 | $75,000 | $75,000 |
| Hoopa Fire Safe Council | Tribal-Central | Track One | $62,539 | $62,539 | $62,539 |
| Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe | Tribal-Central | Track Two | $199,251 | $199,251 | $199,251 |
| Mattole Restoration Council | Humboldt | Track Two | $194,316 | $145,737 | $145,737 |
| Mendocino County Resource Conservation District | Mendocino | Track Two | $200,000 | $150,000 | $150,000 |
| Yurok Tribe Fisheries Department | Tribal-North | Track Two | $198,519 | $175,402 | $175,402 |
| Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria | Tribal-Central | Track Two | $199,887 | $147,915 | $147,915 |
| Scott River Watershed Council | Siskiyou | Track Two | $199,972 | $149,979 | $149,979 |
| Modoc Nation | Tribal-North | Track Two | $200,000 | $150,000 | $150,000 |
| Fire Safe Council of Siskiyou County | Siskiyou | Track Two | $200,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 |
| Hoopa Valley Tribe, Tribal Historical Preservation Office (THPO) | Tribal-Central | Track Two | $200,000 | $150,000 | $150,000 |
| Ore-Cal Resource Conservation and Development Area Council | Siskiyou | Track Two | $198,100 | $50,000 | $50,000 |
| Briceland Volunteer Fire Department on Behalf of Southern Humboldt Fire & Rescue Joint Powers Alliance | Humboldt | Track Two | $200,000 | $150,000 | $150,000 |
| Coast Ridge Community Forest | Sonoma | Track Two | $200,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 |
| Del Norte Fire Safe Council | Del Norte | Track Two | $200,000 | $150,000 | $150,000 |
| Mendocino County Fire Safe Council | Mendocino | Track Two | $141,953 | $50,000 | $50,000 |
| Redwood Forest Foundation, Inc. | Mendocino | Track Two | $200,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 |
| Westport Volunteer Fire Department | Mendocino | Track Two | $199,600 | $50,000 | $50,000 |
| Siskiyou Resource Conservation District | Siskiyou | Track Two | $94,015 | $94,015 | $94,015 |
| TOTALS | $3,555,152 | $2,382,658 | $2,382,658 |
• NCRP Staff Team to meet with applicants to develop detailed scopes of work, collaborative approach with NCRP staff team, and agreed upon progress reporting requirements.
• NCRP Staff Team to work with applicants who received partial awards to evaluate the potential for other sources of NCRP or partner funding to fill funding gaps.
• Humboldt County, on behalf of the NCRP, to establish grant agreements with applicants based on the scopes of work developed through this process.
• NCRP Staff Team has the authority to re-allocate funds to approved projects as needed and per NCRP Handbook guidance (i.e., if some grantees cannot use all allocated funds during the grant period, or if additional funding becomes available).
• NCRP Staff Team will offer to meet with applicants whose proposals were not approved for funding to explore the potential to support their capacity needs with other funding.
• NCRP Staff Team to continue and potentially refine forms of capacity support based on RFFC program criteria, NCRP Leadership Council previous direction and approved criteria, funding availability and partner readiness.
• May-June 2026: Detailed scopes and Grant agreements developed, in close collaboration with full NCRP Staff Team.
• June-December 2026: Staff Team to work with applicants who did not receive full awards to provide capacity support approved by the Leadership Council as described above.
• December 31, 2027: Project activities completed.
• January-March 2028: Capacity Grants performance reporting for DOC, Leadership Council, partners.
The NCRP Capacity Grants Program Webinar was held on January 14, 2026:
Applicants were able to request up to 5 hours of technical advising from NCRP consultant Vollmar Natural Lands Consulting and Emily Luscombe for Tribal projects.
The NCRP Staff Team held weekly office hours to answer questions about the guidelines, application, and evaluation process, and to discuss preliminary proposal ideas. Questions were submitted using the NCRP Capacity Grants Program Question and Request Form. To support transparency and equitable access to consistent information for all applicants, NCRP staff compiled and provided respondes to all questions from emails, workshops, and office hours on the following webpage:
At the October 2025 NCRP Quarterly Meeting the Leadership Council approved a process for Capacity Grants solicitation and awards. Following is a timeline and description of this approved process as implemented by the NCRP Staff Team and Resilience Ad Hoc:
• November 2025: NCRP Capacity Grants Program Guidelines, Application, Scoring Criteria developed and reviewed by NCRP TPRC.
• December 4, 2025: NCRP Capacity Grants Program Guidelines, Application, Scoring Criteria reviewed and approved by NCRP Resilience Ad Hoc Committee.
• December 19, 2025: NCRP Capacity Grants Request for Proposals (RFP) released.
• January 14, 2026: NCRP Capacity Grants Webinar, 81 attendees.
• January 21 – February 18, 2026: Weekly office Hours, 5 sessions, 8-12 applicants attended per week.
• January-February 2026: Consultants provided 5 hours of technical advising for 20 Capacity Grants applicants who requested support.
• February 20, 2026: Due date for NCRP Capacity Grants Program proposals to be submitted via the NCRP Grant Application ArcGIS Survey123 tool.
• March 18, 2025 – First proposal review meeting of NCRP Resilience Ad Hoc and Staff Team.
• March 30, 2025 – Second proposal review and evaluation meeting of NCRP Resilience Ad Hoc and staff team; identification of recommended slate of project awards for NCRP Leadership Council review and approval.
• April 17, 2026: NCRP Quarterly Meeting – NCRP Leadership Council approves slate of projects for funding.
• May-June 2026: Detailed scopes and Grant agreements developed, in close collaboration with full NCRP Staff Team.
• June-December 2026: Staff Team to work with applicants who did not receive full awards to provide capacity support approved by the Leadership Council as described above.
• December 31, 2027: Project activities completed.
• January-March 2028: Capacity Grants performance reporting for DOC, Leadership Council, partners.
With Funding & Support from the California Department of Conservation Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Invest, formerly known as Cap-and-Trade, dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment — particularly in disadvantaged communities.
