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Senate Bill 1 Sea Level Rise Tribal Cultural Resources Funding Program

Grantor:
Ocean Protection Council
Portal ID:
141324
Status:
Active
Opportunity Type:
  • Grant
Last Updated:
Categories:

Details

Purpose:

The purpose of the Sea Level Rise (SLR) Tribal Cultural Resources Funding Program is to provide funding for tribes to assess and plan for the impacts of SLR on their ancestral lands, cultural sites, lifeways, and resources in a manner that is meaningful and beneficial to the tribe. This program offers an alternative and more flexible funding pathway within the Ocean Protection Council’s broader SB 1 Grant Program.

Description:

The Tribal Cultural Resources Funding Solicitation is a dedicated grant opportunity under the Ocean Protection Council’s (OPC) Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) Sea Level Rise Adaptation Planning Grant Program. This program provides direct, flexible funding to California Native American tribes to assess and plan for the impacts of sea level rise (SLR) on tribal cultural resources, ancestral lands, and lifeways. The goal is to promote tribal-led planning that advances climate resilience, equity, and cultural preservation.

Eligible project types fall into two stages:

  • Pre-planning activities, such as community visioning, education and outreach, data collection (including traditional knowledge), and vulnerability assessments
  • Planning activities, including setting adaptation priorities and developing culturally appropriate strategies to preserve and protect tribal cultural resources from current and future coastal hazards

This solicitation also prioritizes cross-cutting goals, including:

  • Protecting tribal data confidentiality
  • Promoting regional tribal collaboration and shared vulnerability assessments
  • Supporting engagement with local and regional planning processes to ensure tribal voices are integrated into broader land use and SLR adaptation planning
  • Encouraging use of existing data and coordination with local agencies to avoid duplicative efforts

Proposals will be received on a rolling, quarterly basis to provide consistent and timely access to funding. Awards will be made on a first-come, first-served basis through four non-competitive review cycles, ensuring eligible projects are considered when ready. This flexible approach is intended to address the urgent needs of tribes impacted by SLR. Projects are anticipated to range from $250,000 to $750,000, though amounts outside this range may be considered with justification.

The broader SB 1 Grant Program offers a complementary Technical Assistance (TA) Program to support eligible applicants addressing significant and imminent SLR impacts. Administered by OPC’s grantee Coastal Quest, the TA Program provides tailored assistance based on each applicant’s needs, including grant writing support, work plan development, budgeting, and other resources to strengthen applications and project proposals. This TA Program is also available to support applicants with the development of their Tribal Cultural Resource Planning Project applications. For more information or to request assistance, visit the SB 1 Grant Program webpage or email OPCSB1TA@coastal-quest.org.

Keywords: sea level rise; SLR; climate change; adaptation; planning; coastal resilience; California Native American tribes; tribes; cultural resources; ancestral lands; tribal planning

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Applicants:

  • Nonprofit
  • Tribal Government

Eligible applicants include:

  • Federally recognized tribes (must provide evidence of federal status)
  • Non-profit organizations applying on behalf of non-federally recognized tribes, an inter-tribal consortium, tribal conservation district, or tribal partnerships (must provide IRS nonprofit verification)

See the Solicitation's "Grant Eligibility" section for details.

Eligible Geographies:

Projects may focus on tribally owned lands and coastal waters, non-tribal lands and coastal waters with cultural significance, or both.

Important Dates

The date on which the grantor expects to announce the recipient(s) of the grant.
Ongoing/Rolling
The length of time during which the grant money must be utilized.
Maximum of 2 years

Funding Details

The total projected dollar amount of the grant.
$5,000,000
A single grant opportunity may represent one or many awards. Some grantors may know in advance the exact number of awards to be given. Others may indicate a range. Some may wish to and wait until the application period closes before determining how many awards to offer; in this case, a value of “Dependent” will display.
Dependent
Grant opportunities representing multiple awards may offer awards in the same amount or in varied amounts. Some may wish to wait until the application period closes before determining per-award amounts; in this case, a value of “Dependent” will display.
$250,000 – $750,000
Certain grants require that the recipient(s) provide a letter of intent.
No
Certain grants require that the recipient(s) be able to fully or partially match the grant award amount with another funding source.
No
The funding source allocated to fund the grant. It may be either State or Federal (or a combination of both), and be tied to a specific piece of legislation, a proposition, or a bond number.
  • State

Funding Source Notes:

The SB 1 Grant Program is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment — particularly in disadvantaged communities.

The manner in which the grant funding will be delivered to the awardee. Funding methods include reimbursements (where the recipient spends out-of-pocket and is reimbursed by the grantor) and advances (where the recipient spends received grant funds directly).
  • Reimbursement(s)

Funding Method Notes:

OPC grants are reimbursed after project costs are incurred. Grantees must submit complete invoices on a quarterly basis. However, alternative payment options such as advance payment, monthly invoicing, lower withhold, or early withhold release may be available for eligible applicants, including tribes and disadvantaged communities, facing financial hardship. See Section 5.4 of OPC's General Grant Guidelines for more details.

How to Apply

State agencies/departments recommend you read the full grant guidelines before applying.

Resources

For questions about this grant, contact:
Megan Williams, 1-630-917-2785, OPC-SB1@resources.ca.gov

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