Mariposa, CA– The Sierra Nevada Conservancy has approved nearly $1.5 million in wildfire resilience grants, including more than $756,000 for a fuel reduction project in southwestern Mariposa County, while also launching two new programs aimed at expanding forest health and community protection efforts across the Sierra-Cascade region.
The Mariposa County Fire Safe Council received $756,179 to reduce hazardous vegetation on 192 acres near the communities of Ahwahnee, Nipinnawasee, and Ponderosa Basin. The project will also retreat fuel breaks along Stumpfield Mountain Road that were originally completed in 2019. The Mariposa award was one of two wildfire resilience grants approved through the conservancy’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Directed Grant Program. The other grant, totaling $720,000, was awarded to the City of Grass Valley in Nevada County to treat approximately 240 acres of forestland in and around Wolf Creek and Boston Ravine. The conservancy’s governing board also approved more than $3.1 million for seven recreation, tourism, and outdoor access projects throughout the Sierra-Cascade region. Additional funding will support trail development in Butte and Tehama counties, environmental planning for recreation projects in Kern County, and invasive species prevention efforts in Mono County.
The board also approved guidelines for two new grant programs designed to accelerate forest restoration and community protection work. A new Landscape Grant Program will support large-scale forest health and restoration projects, while the next round of the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Directed Grant Program will focus on projects that provide direct benefits to communities, infrastructure, and natural resources. In addition, the board adopted the conservancy’s 2026-27 Action Plan, which outlines priorities tied to its five-year strategic plan, including healthy forests and watersheds, resilient communities, sustainable recreation and conservation of working lands.
The Sierra Nevada Conservancy serves the Sierra-Cascade region and works to improve environmental, economic, and social conditions through partnerships and grant funding programs
