Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation (EEM) Grant Program

Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation (EEM) Grant Program

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: California Natural Resources Agency
Amount: Up to US $750,000
Last Updated: May 12, 2025

Summary

The Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation (EEM) Grant Program, managed by the California Natural Resources Agency, allocates up to $6.7 million annually to projects that mitigate environmental impacts of transportation facilities. Eligible projects include Urban Forestry, Resource Lands acquisition, and mitigation efforts beyond lead agency capabilities. These initiatives aim to enhance biodiversity, support wildlife habitats, and address climate change, ensuring sustainable environmental practices across California.

Overview

This program, as provided by California Streets and Highways Code Section 164.56 (Article XIX, Section 1, of the State Constitution), authorizes the legislature to allocate up to $6.7 million each fiscal year from the Highway Users Tax Account (Motor Vehicle Revenues, Section 2100). EEM projects must contribute to mitigation of the environmental effects of transportation facilities. The California Natural Resources Agency (Agency) prescribes procedures and criteria to evaluate grant project proposals and submits a list of projects recommended for funding to the California Transportation Commission (CTC). The CTC awards grants to projects from Agency’s list. Eligible Projects Eligible EEM projects must fit one of the following categories: Urban Forestry Projects designed to offset vehicular emissions of carbon dioxide. Urban Forestry projects plant trees and other suitable plants to offset or mitigate the vehicular emissions of carbon dioxide created by the RTF. Projects where plantings, once established, will thrive without the need for supplemental irrigation will be more competitive in this category (however, habitat and climate will be taken into consideration) Resource Lands Projects for the acquisition or enhancement of resource lands to mitigate the loss of, or the detriment to, resource lands lying within the right-of-way acquired for transportation improvements. Cumulatively, Resource Lands projects address state-wide conservation issues, including climate change, availability of water for fish and wildlife, preservation of California’s rich biodiversity and protection of rare species, control of invasive species, protection of large landscape-level land holdings from conversion and fragmentation, preservation of wildlife movement and migration corridors and expanded public access to outdoor wildlife/nature oriented recreation compatible with conservation goals. Resource Lands may include, but are not limited to, natural areas such as inland wetlands, forests, oak woodlands, mountain meadows, creeks, and streams with riparian or riverine fish or wildlife habitat, wildlife corridors and fish passages, coastal estuaries, grazing land and grasslands, among others. Additionally, Resource Lands may contain features of archaeological or historical value. Mitigation Projects Beyond the Scope of the Lead Agency Projects to mitigate the impact of proposed Transportation Facilities or to enhance the environment, where the ability to effectuate the mitigation or enhancement measures is beyond the scope of the lead agency responsible for assessing the environmental impact of the proposed transportation improvement.

Eligibility

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