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B E F I R E S A F E: Navigating Environmental Compliance for Fire Safe Grants

Learn strategic ways to navigate the environmental compliance process when applying for fire safe grants. This guide provides tips, resources, and insights to help organizations protect communities and secure funding. Contact the California Fire Safe Council for assistance.

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B E F I R E S A F E: Navigating Environmental Compliance for Fire Safe Grants

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  1. Environmental Compliance and the Fire Safe California Grants Clearinghouseatwww.grants.firesafecouncil.org

  2. Regional Overview Sierra Coast Southern California

  3. Participating Agencies • Agencies that expressly said they’d use the clearinghouse as their application process for select programs • BLM, NPS, USFS, USFWS • Funding based on congressional appropriations Grant Programs • Community Protection • Community Assistance • WUI/Community Protection • Community Assistance/WUI • State Fire Assistance

  4. Benefits • Communities • Less research, less grantwriting • One concept paper, one deadline • More funding opportunities • Less paper • Concept papers live on • Agencies • Better inter-agency planning • Better inter-agency success reporting • More funding opportunities • Less paper • Fast-track funding

  5. B.E. F.I.R.E.S.A.F.E.Ten Strategic Ways to Navigate The Environmental Compliance Process

  6. B.E. F.I.R.E.S.A.F.E.Ten Strategic Ways to Navigate The Environmental Compliance Process • Begin the environmental compliance process while you are writing your grant proposal. • Do not wait until funding announcements are made. • Develop your project proposal with environmental sensitivity in mind.

  7. B.E. F.I.R.E.S.A.F.E.Ten Strategic Ways to Navigate The Environmental Compliance Process • Engage your grant manager in a conversation about your needs or environmental circumstances that may need additional solutions. • California Fire Safe Council grant managers are available to help and may have ideas or other resources to share with you. • Ask permission, not forgiveness. • Grant agreements (a.k.a. grant letter) describe relevant and applicable environmental regulations concerning funded grant projects.

  8. B.E. F.I.R.E.S.A.F.E.Ten Strategic Ways to Navigate The Environmental Compliance Process • Foster relationships. • In planning your projects, realize that your federal and/or state agencies can be a tremendous ally in a variety of ways, including environmental compliance.

  9. B.E. F.I.R.E.S.A.F.E.Ten Strategic Ways to Navigate The Environmental Compliance Process • Investigate other options. • Caltrans, CALFIRE, local county, Resource Conservation District, utilities including phone company, water or gas may have completed environmental compliance on a previous project in your planning area. • Don’t reinvent the wheel.

  10. B.E. F.I.R.E.S.A.F.E.Ten Strategic Ways to Navigate The Environmental Compliance Process • Remember to budget environmental compliance expenses as part of your grant. • Clearinghouse grants will pay for the costs of complying with all applicable federal and/or state regulations. • Assigning a cost in your budget will save you time and money! • If you don’t spend all the grant money allocated to environmental compliance, you may likely use it to achieve other project goals.

  11. B.E. F.I.R.E.S.A.F.E.Ten Strategic Ways to Navigate The Environmental Compliance Process • Eliminate the belief that there is a cookie cutter approach to environmental compliance. • Each project is unique and will require an individual solution. • The one thing you can count on is that you cannot avoid responsibility for environmental compliance.

  12. B.E. F.I.R.E.S.A.F.E.Ten Strategic Ways to Navigate The Environmental Compliance Process • Solicit official written notification from federal and/or state agencies on the status of your environmental compliance. • Before any project work can begin, federal and/or state agencies must submit official written notification to you and the California Fire Safe Council.

  13. B.E. F.I.R.E.S.A.F.E.Ten Strategic Ways to Navigate The Environmental Compliance Process • Avoid ground disturbance until all environmental compliance is complete and the California Fire Safe Council has given you the green light. • Ground disturbance means any activity that disrupts plant, animal or cultural resources on your project. • This includes activities such as mowing, masticating, prescribed fire, tree felling, limbing etc. • Ground disturbing does not include planning (such as CWPP development), public education and outreach and workshops.

  14. B.E. F.I.R.E.S.A.F.E.Ten Strategic Ways to Navigate The Environmental Compliance Process • Formulate a realistic schedule that includes plenty of time for environmental compliance activities and approvals.

  15. B.E. F.I.R.E.S.A.F.E.Ten Strategic Ways to Navigate The Environmental Compliance Process • Environmental compliance protects YOU. • By making sure that your project complies with all applicable environmental laws you minimize the risk of your organization encountering expensive and time consuming legal battles.

  16. Contact Information • E-mail: grants@firesafecouncil.org • Phone: 800 FS CALIF (372-2543) • www.grants.firesafecouncil.org

  17. Thank You & Good Luck!

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