Habitat Enhancement and Restoration Grant Program

The Habitat Enhancement and Restoration Grant Program, initiated by the California Wildlife Conservation Board, aims to protect and restore California's diverse habitats. This program funds projects including habitat restoration, wildlife corridors, and fisheries enhancements, ensuring long-term maintenance and ecological sustainability. Eligible recipients include private landowners, nonprofit organizations, resource conservation districts, and public agencies, supported primarily by the Habitat Conservation Fund and voter-approved bonds.

Overview
When the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) was created by the Wildlife Conservation Law of 1947, it was authorized to acquire and restore California lands to protect wildlife values and provide wildlife-oriented public access. The Habitat Enhancement and Restoration Program (HERP) was WCB's first program and incorporated all restoration projects until other WCB programs were initiated in 1990.
HERP continues to support a wide variety of restoration projects that fall outside WCB’s other mandated programs. HERP projects are distributed throughout California and all habitat types. Broad categories of HERP projects include, but are not limited to:

• Habitat restoration (e.g., coast, forest, desert, wetland, grassland)Wildlife corridorsFisheries enhancements (e.g., fish ladders, barrier removal)
• Most HERP funding is provided by the Habitat Conservation Fund and various voter-approved bonds.

Eligibility

HERP projects must receive a recommendation from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and provide for long-term maintenance following project completion. Eligible grant recipients include:Private LandownersNonprofit OrganizationsResource Conservation DistrictsPublic Agencies