Program
Resources
Applications Due
Applications Due:
- Step 1 Application and Escrow Ready Application
- August 29, 2026 Step 2 Application for invited applicants
Total Funding
Funding Source
Maximum Award
Award Details
Ancestral Land Return grants:
- Minimum award amount is $1 million
- Maximum award amount is total available grant funds
Escrow-Ready grants:
- No minimum award amount
- Maximum award amount is total available grant funds
Eligibility
California Native American Tribes and Tribally led entities located in California. Pursuant to the definition provided by the Climate Bond in Public Resources Code Section 90100, a tribe is defined as “a federally recognized Native American Tribe or a non-federally recognized Native American Tribe listed on the California Tribal Consultation List maintained by the Native American Heritage Commission.” Non-tribal entities registered as 501(c)(3)s may support California Native American Tribes and tribally led entities in applying for the program. Applications can be submitted on behalf of an inter-tribal consortium, Tribal conservation district, or partnerships.
Eligible Activities
Eligible projects must include an ancestral land return component for the purpose of advancing multi-benefit nature-based solutions with a focus on the following categories:
- Planning component for multi-benefit nature-based solutions projects AND/OR
- Implementation components of multi-benefit nature-based solutions projects such as watershed restoration, prescribed fire planning, invasive species removal, Tribal workforce development, etc.
Duration
Notable Requirements
There is no match funding requirement to participate or be eligible for grant funds. However, priority and competitiveness will be enhanced for projects with secured partial funding (from other state, federal, Tribal, philanthropic, donated, or private funds) and that can demonstrate that the requested TNBS funds will fund/complete whole acquisition (at fair market value). In addition, see General Requirements pages 7–9 in the solicitation for application requirement details.
Preferences
- Acquisition Project Scoring: Significance of Property Purchases (35 points), Multi-benefit Nature-based Solutions project (10 points), Post grant award readiness (5 points), Funding (5 points), Long-term Ownership and Management (10 points), and Organizational Capacity (10 points) for 75 total possible points.
- Planning Project Scoring: Planning Component (25 points) and Implementation Component (50 points) for 75 total possible points.
How to Apply
All Preliminary Project Proposals (Step 1) and Final Project Proposals (Step 2) should be submitted via RAPTR (Resources Agency Tracking and Reporting System) to the California Natural Resources Agency at RAPTR Portal: https://raptr.resources.ca.gov/. If you are new to RAPTR, please review the User’s Guide for Grant Applicants prior to registration and logging in.