Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Program

Agency: CA Resources Agency

Program: Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Program

Program Description: This program provides grants to State, local and federal agencies and non-profit organizations to mitigate the environmental impact of modified or new public transportation facilities. Project categories include:

Highway Landscape and Urban Forestry: Projects designed to offset vehicular emissions of carbon dioxide through the planting of trees and other suitable plants. Projects may be within or outside the right-of-way or a related transportation facility. However, reimbursement for the cost of vegetation planted within the public road right-of-way is limited to trees.

Resource Lands: Projects for acquisition, restoration or enhancement of resource lands to mitigate the loss of, or the detriment to, resource lands lying within or near the right-of-way acquired for proposed transportation improvements. Resource lands include natural areas, wetlands, forests, woodlands, meadows, streams or other areas containing fish or wildlife habitat. Enhancement of resource lands may include the restoration of wildlife corridors. Additionally, resource lands may contain features of archaeological or historical value.

Roadside Recreation: Projects which provide for the acquisition and/or development of roadside recreational opportunities, including parks and greenways, roadside rests, scenic overlooks, trails, and snowparks.

To be eligible for consideration, each environmental enhancement and mitigation project must be directly or indirectly related to the environmental impact of the modification of an existing transportation facility or construction of a new transportation facility.

Eligibility: Any State, local, or federal agency, or 501 (c)(3) non-profit entity may apply for and receive grants. The agency or entity is not required to be a transportation or highway related organization, but must be able to demonstrate adequate charter or enabling authority to carry out the type of project proposed. Two or more entities may participate in a project.

Funding Information: Grants for individual projects are generally limited to $250,000. However, the Resources Agency may recommend and encourage awards exceeding the $250,000 guideline primarily for acquisition projects, based on the consideration of unique or unusual factors, including, but not limited to, maximum benefits in a one-time or limited opportunity, acquisition of resource lands of a considerable size, substantial leveraging, and/or projects with high statewide significance. In accordance with the provision of Section 187 and 188 of the streets and Highways Code, an attempt will be made to allocate 40 percent of the total amount recommended to projects in northern counties and 60 percent of the total amount to projects in southern counties. (Southern counties are: San Luis Obispo, Kern, Mono, Tulare, Inyo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, and Imperial. All other counties are considered Northern.)

Timelines: Applications for the 1999-00 grant cycle are due on October 9, 1998. Anticipated announcement of funding awards is July 1999. This represents a typical time frame.

Contact: California Resources Agency Phn (916)653-5656

1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1311 Fax (916)653:8102

Sacramento, CA 95814 Int www.ceres.ca.gov/cra/