The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) is seeking grant applications to help fund projects that enhance or restore habitat for wildlife, with available funding totaling more than $750,000.

The grants stem from the multi-agency Environmental Enhancement Fund (EEF), whose selection committee includes representatives from the California Coastal Conservancy, the National Fish and Wildlife Federation and OSPR. The panel may select multiple projects. Multi-year projects are also acceptable. Previous EEF awards have typically ranged from $100,000 to $300,000.

“Since 2011 we’ve awarded over $3 million to 22 projects and eight are currently in progress,” said OSPR Environmental Scientist Daniel Orr. “EEF projects include enhancement of bird nesting habitat on nearshore islands, protection and restoration of springs in the Mojave Desert, increasing summer flows in mountain streams in Inyo County and reintroduction of tidal flow to wetlands.”

To qualify, an environmental enhancement project must acquire habitat for preservation or improve habitat quality and ecosystem function. In addition, it must meet all the following requirements:

Be located within or immediately adjacent to waters of the state.

Have measurable outcomes within a pre-determined timeframe.

Be designed to acquire, restore or improve habitat or restore ecosystem function, or both, to benefit fish and wildlife.

Funds come from OSPR’s EEF, funded by oil spill violations, in accordance with California’s Lempert-Keene-Seastrand Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act. Disbursement of the grants is contingent on the availability of funds in the EEF. All eligible agencies and projects are encouraged to apply.

Grant applications must be received by 5 p.m. on March 30, 2022. Selected projects will be notified in summer 2022. For more information, go to wildlife.ca.gov/OSPR/Science/Environmental-Enhancement-Fund/About.