Red Bluff City Council
June 16, 2026

Proposition 4 California Climate Bond
Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Wildfire Prevention Program
Grant Guidelines
FY 2025-2026

Solicitation Opens: May 7, 2026
Proposals Due: July 08, 2026, 3:00 PM PST
pg. 1
Contents
I. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................................... 3 WILDFIRE PREVENTION GRANTS PROGRAM SUMMARY AND PRIORITIES ............................................................... 3 QUALIFYING PROJECT TYPES AND ACTIVITIES .......................................................................................................... 4 HAZARDOUS FUELS REDUCTION.......................................................................................................................... 4 WILDFIRE PREVENTION PLANNING...................................................................................................................... 5 WILDFIRE PREVENTION EDUCATION.................................................................................................................... 5 II. ELIGIBILITY, CONDITIONS, AND IMPORTANT POINTS ............................................................................................ 5 ELIGIBILITY FOR PROPOSITION 4............................................................................................................................... 5 Applicants may not be one of the following:....................................................................................................... 6 ELIGIBLE COSTS INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: ........................................................................................ 6 INELIGIBLE COSTS INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:..................................................................................... 6 NON-QUALIFYING PROJECT TYPES AND ACTIVITIES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: ................................ 6 LIMITED WAIVERS OF SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY FOR NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES: ................................................ 7 CONDITIONS AND IMPORTANT POINTS.................................................................................................................... 7 PREVAILING WAGE REQUIREMENTS....................................................................................................................... 12 GREENHOUSE GAS (GHG) EMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS.......................................................................................... 12 PROPOSITION 4 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS ........................................................................................................ 13 III. GRANT APPLICATION REVIEW AND EVALUATION FACTORS ................................................................................ 14 REVIEW PROCESS .................................................................................................................................................... 14 EVALUATION FACTORS (RANKING CRITERIA).......................................................................................................... 14 APPLICATION PROCESS AND PROJECT ADMINISTRATION ...................................................................................... 16 STAGE 1 - PROJECT APPLICATION ........................................................................................................................... 17 STAGE 2 - GRANT APPLICATION REVIEW AND SELECTION...................................................................................... 18 STAGE 3 - GRANTS AWARDED................................................................................................................................. 18 STAGE 4 – COMPLETED GRANT AGREEMENTS ....................................................................................................... 18 pg. 2
PROJECT AMENDMENTS, MODIFICATIONS, AND TERMINATIONS ......................................................................... 19 ACCOUNTING REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................................................................... 19 LOSS OF FUNDING................................................................................................................................................... 20 PROPOSITION 4 INDIRECT COST RATES................................................................................................................... 20 PROJECT COSTS ....................................................................................................................................................... 21 PAYMENT OF GRANT FUNDS................................................................................................................................... 25 STATE CONFLICT OF INTEREST LAWS ...................................................................................................................... 25 ADVANCE PAYMENTS.............................................................................................................................................. 26 STATE AUDIT ........................................................................................................................................................... 27 IV. EXPLANATION OF TERMS .................................................................................................................................... 28 PROP 4 TOOLS ......................................................................................................................................................... 30 V. APPENDICES........................................................................................................................................................ 30 APPENDIX A – ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE FOR CAL FIRE PROJECTS .............................................................. 30 APPENDIX B – SAMPLE RESOLUTION (NOT REQUIRED).......................................................................................... 34 APPENDIX C – INVOICE........................................................................................................................................... 35 APPENDIX D – STATE OF CALIFORNIA STANDARD REQUIRED FORMS.................................................................... 36 APPENDIX E – CALMAPPER (AWARDED GRANTS ONLY)......................................................................................... 36 APPENDIX G – PDF PROJECT MAP........................................................................................................................... 36 APPENDIX H – JUSTIFICATION FOR INDIRECT COST RATE > 15% ........................................................................... 37 APPENDIX I – APPLICATION PACKAGE.................................................................................................................... 37 APPENDIX J – ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.................................................................................................................. 38 APPENDIX K – CALCULATING INTEREST ON ADVANCE PAYMENTS......................................................................... 38 pg. 3
I. INTRODUCTION
This grant guideline includes information about the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) Wildfire Prevention (WP) Grants Program. Up to $70 million is being allocated to CAL FIRE’s Wildfire Prevention Grants Program in Fiscal Year 2025-26 from the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024 (Proposition 4). For information about CAL FIRE’s other CCI programs, please visit CAL FIRE Grants.

WILDFIRE PREVENTION GRANTS PROGRAM SUMMARY AND PRIORITIES CAL FIRE’s Wildfire Prevention Grants Program provides funding for wildfire prevention projects and activities in and near wildfire-threatened communities that focus on increasing the protection of people, structures, and communities. Funded activities include Hazardous Fuels Reduction, Wildfire Prevention Planning, and Wildfire Prevention Education with an emphasis on improving public health and safety while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

California’s Strategic Fire Plan serves as a roadmap for project development. Projects are evaluated based on the overall benefit to reduce the threat of wildfires to people, structures, and communities. CAL FIRE will consider the wildfire hazards and risks to an area, the geographic balance of projects, and whether the project is complementary to other wildfire prevention or forest health activities when awarding grants. Projects benefiting disadvantaged communities or low-income communities, as defined by Health and Safety Code section 39713, projects that demonstrate a carbon benefit by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and projects that contain matching funds will receive additional priority. Projects located in or submitted by local agencies on the Fire Risk Reduction Community List, or projects that utilize funding to meet the List eligibility requirements pursuant to Public Resources Code sections 4124.7 and 4290.1, will receive additional priority. Projects are selected on a competitive basis, and consecutive awards are not guaranteed. Disadvantaged and low-income communities can be determined using the process in Appendix F. Projects that demonstrate that they are providing maintenance of existing fuels reduction projects paid for by CAL FIRE or any other funding sources (i.e., other state funds, federal funds, or private funds) will also receive priority. Projects conducted by any local governmental entity qualified to perform defensible space assessments pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 4291.5 in very high and high fire hazard severity zones, as identified by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to Section 51178 of the Government Code or Division 4, Part 2, Chapter 1, Article 9 (commencing with Section 4201) of the Public Resources Code or by a local agency pursuant to Section 51179 of the Government Code, will receive priority if they utilize the common reporting platform created pursuant to subdivision (c) of Public Resources Code Section 4291.5 to report that information.

CAL FIRE will provide technical expertise and management oversight of grants but may not be the primary agency or applicant for a project. CAL FIRE reserves the right to fund projects in total or in part, whichever best serves the objectives of the Wildfire Prevention Grants Program. Project applicants that are selected to receive partial funding will be provided with additional information on their revised funding amount, project performance period, and any other changes to their application, as needed. pg. 4
PROPOSITION 4 BACKGROUND AND PRIORITIES
In November of 2024, California voters approved Proposition 4 to fund water, climate, wildfire, and natural resource projects across the state of California. Proposition 4 will allocate $185 million to CAL FIRE Wildfire Prevention Grants as follows: “projects and grants to improve local fire prevention capacity, improve forest health and resilience, and reduce the risk of wildfire spreading into populated areas from wildlands. Where appropriate, projects may include activities on lands owned by the United States.” (Pub. Resources Code, section 91520, subd. (d).) To the extent feasible, a project whose application includes the use of services of the California Conservation Corps or certified community conservation corps, as defined in Section 14507.5, shall be given preference for receipt of a grant under this division (Pub. Resources Code, section 90150). In addition, projects that leverage private, federal, and local funding or produce the greatest public benefit will also receive priority (Pub. Resources Code, section 90050). Proposition 4 requires that at least 40 percent of the total funds available under Proposition 4 be allocated for projects that provide meaningful and direct benefits to vulnerable populations or disadvantaged communities. Of this 40 percent, at least 10 percent of the total funds available shall be allocated for projects that provide meaningful and direct benefits to severely disadvantaged communities. (Pub. Resources Code, section 90140).

QUALIFYING PROJECT TYPES AND ACTIVITIES
The Wildfire Prevention Grants Program funds three types of activities: Hazardous Fuels Reduction, Wildfire Prevention Planning, and Wildfire Prevention Education. Below are some examples of qualifying projects and activities:

HAZARDOUS FUELS REDUCTION
• Vegetation clearance in critical locations to reduce wildfire intensity and rate of spread. • Creation or maintenance of fuel breaks in strategic locations, as identified in CAL FIRE Unit Fire Plans, a Community Wildfire Protection Plan, or similar strategic planning document. • Maintenance of existing fuels reduction projects paid for by CAL FIRE or any other funding sources (i.e., other state funds, federal funds, or private funds).
• Removal of ladder fuels to reduce the risk of crown fires. • Creation of community-level wildfire prevention programs, such as community chipping days, roadside chipping, and green waste bin programs.
• Selective tree removal (thinning) to improve forest health to withstand wildfire. • Modification of vegetation adjacent to roads to improve public safety for egress of evacuating residents and ingress of responding emergency personnel.
• Reduction of fuel loading around critical infrastructure to maintain continuity of government and other critical services.
• Projects to improve compliance with defensible space requirements as required by Public Resources Code Section 4291 (Projects eligible are low-income, disabled, or elderly households per CA requirements). o CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) Compliance is required for contractors performing Public Resources Code Section 4291.
• Seasonal and temporary prescribed grazing using temporary infrastructure consistent with increasing the protection of people, structures, and communities.
• Removal of dead, dying, diseased, or otherwise hazardous trees. pg. 5

WILDFIRE PREVENTION PLANNING
• Wildfire risk or related mapping
• Creation or update of strategic wildfire planning documents, such as:
• Evacuation plans
• Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP)
• Local Hazard Mitigation Plans
• Safety Elements
• Wildfire Prevention or Mitigation Plans

WILDFIRE PREVENTION EDUCATION
Development and implementation of public education and outreach programs. Workshops, meetings, materials creation, and other educational activities with the purpose of increasing knowledge and awareness of information that could be used to reduce the total number of wildfires, acres burned, and structures lost.

To educate the public on making homes and communities more wildfire resilient, including defensible space training.

Activities are subject to CAL FIRE approval.

II. ELIGIBILITY, CONDITIONS, AND IMPORTANT POINTS
ELIGIBILITY FOR PROPOSITION 4
• State Agencies
• Native American Tribes
• Joint Powers Authorities (JPAs) if the entities involved are eligible applicants. • Special districts
o Fire protection districts.
o Community services districts
o Water districts
o Resource conservation districts
• Local agencies, including:
o City, county, or city and county
• Fire Safe Councils with a 501(c)(3) designation.
• Other qualified non-profit organizations with a 501(c)(3) designation In situations where a local government has contracted with CAL FIRE for fire protection services, CAL FIRE is considered a local government for purposes of this grant program.

If an applicant has applied for 501(c)(3) status at the time of application, that is sufficient. Applicants will have to provide the official 501(c)(3) approval prior to execution of the grant agreement. pg. 6
Applicants may not be one of the following:
• A privately held for-profit company or corporation.
• Individual or private landowners.
• Homeowners’ associations or other associations unless they have 501(c)(3) non- profit status. • No sub-awarding allowed.

ELIGIBLE COSTS INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
• Removal of dead, dying, diseased, or otherwise hazardous trees posing an imminent threat to public health and safety, public rights-of-way, and public infrastructure, which may include dead, dying, diseased trees on private property.
• Contracted tree removal, transportation, holding site fees, and disposal. • Costs that are necessary and prudent to the accomplishment of the project, e.g., • Project equipment not to exceed a cumulative total of $750,000. • Project supplies (supplies include items under $10,000 per unit cost). Chainsaws are an example of a supply item and are not considered equipment.
• Fuel and Maintenance
• CEQA Costs
• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Costs
All equipment purchases must be pre-approved. All pre-approved equipment purchases are owned by the grantee. Equipment cannot be purchased by subcontractors and billed to the grantee for reimbursement.

INELIGIBLE COSTS INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
• Removal of non-hazardous trees that do not pose an imminent threat to public health and safety or for non-wildfire prevention purposes, including but not limited to improvement of private property view sheds.
• Costs associated with the improvement of landscaping, or ecological restoration, including planting. • Costs that are not directly associated with the project. • Costs already funded or budgeted through another source (i.e., supplanting) • Income, fees, revenues, or wages lost or voluntarily waived by a local agency. • Activities or costs associated with permanent infrastructure. • Costs incurred before or after the project performance period. • Cost of preparing a grant and application.
• Late fees, penalties, and bank fees.
• Gifts or gift cards. If uncertain, contact your Region. • CAL FIRE has final discretion for approval on all costs NON-QUALIFYING PROJECT TYPES AND ACTIVITIES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
• Purchase of capital equipment with a cumulative total of more than $750,000 • Purchase of capital equipment without demonstrating how the equipment will be utilized. All equipment purchases must be pre-approved. All pre-approved equipment purchases are owned by the grantee.

Equipment cannot be purchased by subcontractors and billed to the grantee for reimbursement. pg. 7
• Installation, creation, upgrade, or maintenance of fire protection features, such as roads, bridges, structures, water storage facilities, or other permanent infrastructure. • Projects or activities utilizing CAL FIRE staff without corresponding reimbursements or requests seeking funding for services already provided by CAL FIRE.

LIMITED WAIVERS OF SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY FOR NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES:

CAL FIRE is accountable for the responsible use of state funds. Federally recognized tribes are sovereign nations with special legal status. In order to provide accountability for this grant funding and to ensure the grant agreements may be enforced in case of default, CAL FIRE may require limited waivers of sovereign immunity when the primary grantee (who signs the grant agreement contract) is a federally recognized tribe. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis and is dependent on the type and scope of the project. If required, the grant agreement will include these important terms and conditions CAL FIRE will avoid seeking a limited waiver of sovereign immunity when possible and will strive to notify applicants early in the grant application review process if it is anticipated a limited waiver of sovereign immunity will be necessary. CAL FIRE is committed to working collaboratively with California Native American tribes on tailoring limited waiver of sovereign immunity terms to support tribal priorities while also meeting the state’s legal obligations.

CAL FIRE will conduct a risk analysis of all projects that may involve limited waivers of sovereign immunity. In general, CAL FIRE may require limited waivers of sovereign immunity when the grantee is a federally recognized tribe, and the project includes any of the following elements:
• Advance funds
• High-risk implementation projects, which may include fuels reduction, prescribed burning, cultural burning, ceremonial, or other use of fire
• Organizations without demonstrated reliability in sound financial management For questions regarding sovereign immunity, please reach out to the program by emailing [email protected], who may refer you to discuss specifics with the appropriate person at CAL FIRE Legal.

CONDITIONS AND IMPORTANT POINTS

1. The recommended funding amount is $950,000 or less.

2. Grants can be made only to “eligible” applicants.

3. Projects must provide benefits to habitable structures and people in and near wildfire threatened communities.

4. Projects utilizing partners must provide a letter of commitment from the partner entity as proof that they have contacted the entity, the entity has the required resources (if needed) to commit toward the project, and the entity supports the project.

5. Qualifying projects and activities are limited to those where the proposed project or activity addresses the hazards and risks to wildfire threatened communities that focus on increasing the protection of people, structures, and communities.

6. Applicants must consider greenhouse gas emissions of project activities and plan to reduce emissions as much as possible during project activities.
pg. 8

7. Grantees must have and demonstrate to CAL FIRE the ability to plan, administer, and complete the grant project.

8. Projects that may impact the environment must comply with CEQA. Projects that may impact the environment and involve a federal action must also comply with NEPA. Projects requiring CEQA/NEPA review are required to provide documented compliance within 12 months from the grant execution.

CEQA/NEPA compliance must begin immediately after grant execution. No grant funds, including those provided via an advance payment from CAL FIRE, shall be spent on any project activity that could affect the environment, including any ground-disturbing activity, until the grantee receives written environmental compliance approval from CAL FIRE.

9. A Registered Professional Forester (RPF) must design and oversee any fuel “forestry” projects, as defined in Public Resources Code (PRC) Section 753, proposed on a “forested landscape,” as defined in PRC Section 754. The RPF must conduct at least one site visit during active project operations to ensure vegetation removal is being conducted according to the prescription. An RPF is not required to provide the general project information required in the Scope of Work during the grant application phase, but the applicant must explain how CEQA or NEPA compliance will be met and describe RPF involvement in the Project Scope of Work and include this cost in the budget, if applicable. a) PRC Section 753 - “Forestry,” as used in this article, refers to the science and practice of managing forested landscapes and the treatment of the forest cover in general, and includes, among other things, the application of scientific knowledge and forestry principles in the fields of fuels management and forest protection, timber growing and utilization, forest inventories, forest economics, forest valuation and finance, and the evaluation and mitigation of impacts from forestry activities on watershed and scenic values, to achieve the purposes of this article. The practice of forestry applies only to those activities undertaken on forested landscapes. The professions specified in PRC Section 772 are not practicing forestry when mitigating or recommending mitigation of impacts from previous forestry activities on related watershed or ecological values within their area of professional expertise or when recommending those mitigations for proposed timber operations. However, public and private foresters are required to be licensed pursuant to this article when making evaluations and determinations of the appropriate overall combination of mitigations of impacts from forestry activities necessary to protect all forest resources.
b) PRC Section 754 - “Forested landscapes” means those tree-dominated landscapes and their associated vegetation types on which there is growing a significant stand of tree species, or which are naturally capable of growing a significant stand of native trees in perpetuity, and is not otherwise devoted to non-forestry commercial, urban, or farming uses.

10. Projects outside of a “forested landscape” should consider the use of a professional ecologist, biologist, certified rangeland manager, arborist, RPF, or other professional with knowledge of local ecosystem processes to develop an appropriate fuel hazard reduction removal project.

11. CAL FIRE has the discretion to specify an earlier project completion date at the time of award based on the funds associated with the grant award. CAL FIRE will work with the grantees to ensure projects will still be achievable within the earlier timeframe.
pg. 9

12. Fuel reduction vegetation treatment prescriptions shall focus on increasing safety for the public and first responders, as well as reducing fire hazards to improve the protection of lives, structures, and communities. Treatments shall eliminate the vertical and horizontal continuity of vegetative fuels for the purpose of reducing the rate of fire spread, duration and intensity of fire, fuel ignitability, and the ignition of tree crowns or structures.

13. Required project deliverables to be included in the Project Scope of Work:
a) Pre- and post-treatment description of: (1) site conditions and project results relative to hazardous tree or vegetative conditions; (2) wildfire hazard reduction goal accomplishments, or (3) another measurable metric for evaluation of the project. This includes, but is not limited to, number of acres treated, number of parcels treated for fuel reduction for defensible space compliance, number of prevention plans created, and number of people reached in a public education project. CAL FIRE reserves the right to retain copies of these descriptions and publicly disseminate the information for its own purposes.
b) GIS data files supporting the project map to allow CAL FIRE to accurately document the spatial extent of the project for the duration of the grant.
• For projects and activities involving on-the-ground work, CAL FIRE requires shapefiles to be submitted with the signed agreement and on a quarterly basis throughout the duration of the grant. (See Progress report quarterly calendar, pg. XX). c) Documented CEQA or NEPA compliance within 12 months of grant execution, unless a longer period of time is approved by CAL FIRE. This includes the approval of a Negative Declaration, Mitigated Negative Declaration, or Environmental Impact Report, or the filing of a Notice of Exemption. If compliance is not achieved or if reasonable articulation of non-compliance is not made, the grant could be subject to termination. No grant funds, including those provided via an advance payment from CAL FIRE, shall be spent on any project activity that could affect the environment, including any ground-disturbing activity, until the grantee receives written environmental compliance approval from CAL FIRE.

14. Financial reports are required for reimbursement. Please see Appendix C for guidelines for the invoice that must be submitted with the financial report. The invoice template is found on the CAL FIRE website.

15. A Quarterly Progress Report form must be submitted under the Pending tasks “Activities report request” in the Grants Portal, utilizing the required CAL FIRE Wildfire Prevention Grants Template. Grantee shall provide data reporting to CAL FIRE, including but not limited to, number of acres treated, number of parcels treated for fuel reduction for defensible space compliance, the number of prevention plans created, and the number of people reached in a public education project. Pre and Post implementation photos is required to be submitted with all progress reports that include fuel reduction activities. CAL FIRE will provide grantees with the specific metrics and the reporting process. The quarterly progress report is due within 30 days of the end of every calendar quarter, even if no fiscal activity has occurred:
pg. 10
Quarter Progress Report Covering Due Date
1st Quarter January 1 – March 31 April 30
2nd Quarter April 1 – June 30 July 31
3rd Quarter July 1 – September 30 October 31
4th Quarter October 1 – December 31 January 31

16. For all Proposition 4 funded grant projects, grantees will provide CAL FIRE with updated cash flow projections. Cash flow projections will be utilized aggregately for monthly projections and semi-annually for individual projects.

17. Final financial reports for grant-related work must be submitted to CAL FIRE no later than 30 days after the project completion date.

18. A Wildfire Prevention Grants Program Final report (found on the CAL FIRE website) must be submitted simultaneously with the final financial report, within 30 days from the expiration date. a) Pre-implementation and post-implementation pictures must be submitted with the Final Report, along with updated GIS data files.

19. Projects must demonstrate all efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Projects that demonstrate significant greenhouse gas emissions reductions will be favored.

20. All Wildfire Prevention Grants projects must clearly display, identify, and label themselves as being funded by CAL FIRE. Acknowledgments must contain the CAL FIRE logo as well as the following statement:

Funding for this project provided by CAL FIRE’s Wildfire Prevention Grants Program. Grantees must include the Proposition 4 logo and boilerplate language (Link for the Prop 4 Climate Bond can be found here), along with the CAL FIRE logo on all outreach and public-facing materials, including but not limited to press releases, media advisories, printed collateral, event invitations, signs, and project/program websites.

21. Each application should focus on one or more of the following major activities:
a) Hazardous Fuels Reduction
b) Wildfire Prevention Planning
c) Wildfire Prevention Education
Entities with more than one application should consider consolidating into just one application, especially if proposed project(s) are similar or share geographic locations. For additional assistance work with your local CAL FIRE Unit coordinator or your region representatives.

22. Applications must be submitted in the CAL FIRE Grants Portal by July 08, 2026, at 3:00 PM Pacific Time. It is highly recommended you submit your application before the deadline as CAL FIRE will not accept any late applications due to technical issues.

23. No reimbursable work on proposed Wildfire Prevention Grants projects may commence until there is a fully executed agreement between CAL FIRE and the grantee. An agreement is considered fully executed upon signature and approval by the State Fire Marshal or designee. pg. 11

24. All project and activity work related to grants must be completed by final expiration date located in the executed Grant Agreement.

25. No grant activities that may impact the environment, including ground disturbing work, may commence until the requirements of CEQA or NEPA have been satisfied. For more details see Appendix A:

Environmental Compliance for CAL FIRE Projects (CEQA).

26. Agreements must be executed by the date specified in the Agreement.

27. Reimbursement payments are expected to be issued 45 calendar days from the time of an undisputed financial report. Payments are sent via U.S. Mail; electronic payment is not available. The financial report approval process is as follows:
a) Financial report submitted to the Region for review and approval using Grants Portal. b) Unit reviews the financial report and performs a project site inspection, if applicable, to verify that invoiced work has been satisfactorily completed according to the deliverable items described in the grant documentation.
c) Grants Management Unit reviews and submits the financial report to the Business Service Office for payment.

28. When a Contract County is the grantee, the Contract County must contact the CAL FIRE Administrative Unit to conduct an inspection of the modification efforts prior to submitting a Financial Report in Grants Portal for completed work. The CAL FIRE Administrative Unit or designee will conduct an inspection to verify that work to be invoiced has been satisfactorily completed according to the deliverable items described in the grant documentation.

29. A resolution or attesting document may be requested for Wildfire Prevention Grants. The attestee cannot be the same individual designated to sign the agreement. Please refer to the sample resolution (Appendix B). A board resolution template is available on the CAL FIRE WP Grants website.

Note: Where the line indicates ‘whereas the Board designates (designee’s title)’, it is recommended the applicant list the title rather than an individual’s name. In the event the individual leaves the organization, a new resolution designating a replacement will be required if a name is listed rather than the working title. The resolution should name the designee for entering into agreements on behalf of the board and the authorized signatory for financial reports.

30. Wildfire Prevention Grants are neither designed nor intended to create or substantially support ongoing administrative positions.

31. The inclusion of indirect costs are acceptable for Wildfire Prevention Grants funded by Proposition 4 projects. The grantee may request one of the following indirect cost rates:
a) The grantee’s federal negotiated indirect cost rate, pursuant to its Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA).
b) The 15 percent de minimis indirect cost rate specified in Part 200 of Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
c) A rate negotiated by the grantee with another state agency within the last five years. d) A rate proposed by the grantee in the grantee’s program application with the administering state agency if the grantee does not have an existing state rate. e) Grantee can request an indirect cost rate of 15% to 20%. pg. 12
f) up to 15% of the total amount of direct grant funds provided to the grantee, minus equipment.

Applicants may request from CAL FIRE a higher indirect cost rate by providing additional justification as to why a higher indirect rate is needed as well as including appropriate documentation substantiating the basis of the higher indirect rate (e.g. a copy of a federally approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, etc.). In no instances may the request exceed 20%. This shall apply to all entities, including University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) entities. Grantee must retain documentation related to the determination of the grantee’s indirect cost rate for audit purposes. Approval of the higher indirect rate is solely at CAL FIRE’s discretion. Please refer to Appendix H

32. All educational materials and planning documents created and used for a Wildfire Prevention Grant project must be submitted to CAL FIRE. CAL FIRE may retain copies of these materials and utilize them for CAL FIRE’s own purposes. Similarly, any Wildfire Prevention Grant project photos, videos, testimonials, or other similar information submitted to CAL FIRE throughout the performance of the project may be retained by CAL FIRE and utilized for CAL FIRE’s own purposes.

33. Records in CAL FIRE’s possession, including but not limited to application packages, Agreements, and grant project financial records, may be subject to public inspection or disclosure pursuant to the California Public Records Act.

34. Grantees should note that CAL FIRE will only serve in a lead agency capacity for activities related to its discretionary approval (i.e., grant-funded activities). In the circumstance where another public agency subsequently seeks to use a CAL FIRE- led Project Specific Analysis under the California Vegetation Treatment Program for CEQA compliance and there is no related discretionary approval required of CALFIRE, CAL FIRE would have no involvement, oversight, or other obligation in the approval, implementation, or documentation of that agency’s actions.

PREVAILING WAGE REQUIREMENTS
CAL FIRE provides no opinion as to whether projects may be subject to prevailing wages. For determination for prevailing wages, please contact the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) at DIR Prevailing Wage. It is the applicant’s responsibility to budget for prevailing wages in their project cost when applicable.

Please Note: Beginning July 1, 2026, certain fuel reduction work, including but not limited to residential chipping, rural road fuel breaks, and fire breaks funded by the State will be subject to prevailing wage, record keeping, and registration requirements. (California Public Resources Code section 80200 et seq.). DIR has issued an Important Notice and FAQ related to the implementation of Public Resources Code Section 80200.

GREENHOUSE GAS (GHG) EMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS
Projects administered by CAL FIRE through the Forest Health, Wildfire Prevention, and Urban and Community Forestry Programs contribute to California’s climate goals by reducing GHG emissions from wildfires, stabilizing long- term storage of carbon in biomass, and improving carbon sequestration in California’s natural and working forests.
pg. 13
In terms of direct emissions benefits, the objectives of the Wildfire Prevention Grants Program are to:
• Reduce GHG emissions from wildfire and prevent the need for cleanup and rebuilding of communities following destructive wildfire events
• Provide fire personnel with more opportunities to access the fire perimeter to extinguish fires more quickly, thereby reducing GHG emissions
• Encourage projects that result in smaller scale fires to reduce GHG emissions and reduce the carbon impact
• Improve health and resilience of treated areas for increased carbon sequestration • Improve public awareness and reduce human caused wildfire ignitions • Promote orderly growth and development through land use planning which helps to reduce GHG emissions
Eliminating wildfire starts, mitigating wildfires before they progress into wildland areas and communities, and facilitating firefighting efforts and safety all contribute to reduced wildfire emissions over time. The Wildfire Prevention Grants Program also includes support for planning, such as development of Community Wildfire Protection Plans, and education programs that promote fire- safe communities to capture the benefits and synergy of collective, community-wide efforts.

However, fuel reduction activities also release GHG emissions at the time of treatment, and CAL FIRE must balance emissions costs and benefits of the Wildfire Prevention and Forest Health Programs to comply with the law. Minimizing emissions of fuel treatment activities, using disposal methods other than open burning, and optimizing vegetation health options in the development of treatment prescriptions are important steps in project development to achieve balanced emissions costs and benefits.

PROPOSITION 4 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
These Wildfire Prevention Grants are funded by Proposition 4 from the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024. The funds are appropriated by the California Legislature to CAL FIRE, who is responsible for administering the funds.

Accountability and transparency are essential elements for Proposition 4. Full public disclosure is required to provide information on how administering agencies are investing appropriations and what benefits are being achieved from those investments. CAL FIRE is responsible for collecting project information and reporting.

For each grant project, grantees must submit reporting data to CAL FIRE on a quarterly basis. pg. 14
III. GRANT APPLICATION REVIEW AND EVALUATION FACTORS

REVIEW PROCESS
Applications will be reviewed by CAL FIRE. The application review involves three levels:
• Local – CAL FIRE Units and Contract Counties
• Regional – CAL FIRE Northern and Southern Regional Offices • Statewide – Statewide review team. The statewide review team will prepare a list of recommended projects and activities for consideration by the Director of CAL FIRE. The Director will make decisions on approved projects and activities, taking into consideration the recommendations of the statewide review team.

Emphasis at each level will be placed on projects and activities that address hazards that reduce potential risk from wildfire in and near communities. The department shall consider the fire risk of an area, the geographic balance of projects, and whether the project is complementary to other wildfire prevention or forest health activities when awarding local assistance grants. Additionally, to the extent possible, a project or activity will not be selected if it conflicts or competes with another proposed or approved project

EVALUATION FACTORS (RANKING CRITERIA)
In evaluating applications, CAL FIRE is seeking information that allows it to consider the following factors:

1. The grant application clearly identifies the focus of the grant as Hazardous Fuels Reduction, Wildfire Prevention Planning, or Wildfire Prevention Education.

2. The project addresses hazards and risks from wildfire. a) The project includes Fire Hazard Severity Zone rankings and indicates areas and their relative proportion of Very High, High, and Moderate Fire Hazard Severity Zones as adopted by the State Fire Marshal and identified in the CAL FIRE map located at Fire Hazard Severity Zones. b) The proposed project is in or near a wildfire-threatened community and adequately describes how it will address the hazards and risks from wildfire. c) The project protects other assets of wildfire-threatened communities to maintain continuity of government operations and critical services. This includes, but is not limited to, fire, police, power, water, sewer, roads, or other critical facilities. If the project involves community infrastructure, it must explain how it will address the hazards and risks from wildfire to these assets.

3. The project is related to or part of one or more strategic plans or tree removal plan:
a) The project is included in or consistent with one or more of the following plans:
o CAL FIRE Unit Fire Plan, Contract County Fire Plan, Local Fire Plan, a CWPP, Community Evacuation Plan, tree removal plan, Fire Safe Council Action Plan, Firewise USA Community Wildfire Risk Assessment, Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, Safety Element plan, or other local plan (identified in Scope of Work) that addresses the hazards and risks from wildfire.
o Countywide CWPPs, or projects that develop or update countywide CWPPs, will receive additional priority due to their broader regional benefit and alignment with multi-jurisdictional wildfire risk reduction planning.
b) The project proposes to create, or update, a long-term fire hazard reduction planning document affecting or involving wildfire-threatened communities, such as, but not limited to, a CWPP or Community Evacuation Plan. A strategic planning document would include a Safety Element of a General Plan and a Local Hazard Mitigation Plan with elements for increasing safety for the public and first responders.
pg. 15
c) The project removes hazardous trees in collaboration with other entities, other funding sources, or as part of a larger tree mortality project.
d) The project considers other projects, pending or past, in the Unit/Contract County. e) The project strategically advances the protection and preparedness of wildfire threatened communities across a region or the state, while increasing safety for the public and first responders.

4. The applicant has taken steps to reduce GHG emissions as much as possible, such as chipping or mulching removed vegetation, or disposing of material through biomass markets. The applicant is willing and able to provide project data as requested to calculate project emissions.

5. Community support/ meaningful and direct benefits exist. a) The project includes plans for external communications, such as planned press releases, project signage, community meetings or field tours that all, or in part, reach owners and residents in the project area.
b) Letters of Support have been obtained.
c) Letters of Commitment from partnering entities are submitted with the application. Letters of commitment are required if grantee is utilizing the California or Certified Community Conservation Corps.
d) Please note that although matching funds are not required, the existence of matching funds is a positive factor.
e) The degree to which a project provides in-kind services and/or secured federal, state, private, or local cost share funding. Have non-monetary and/or funding resources of agencies and organizations that have been identified and secured.

6. There is an implementation plan in place.
a) The project includes a detailed timeline that addresses potential limitations and includes specific tasks and milestones to measure progress during implementation of the project. b) The project includes an accurate set of deliverables that are measurable and attainable. c) The project is fully defined with metrics to measure progress and completion. This includes, but is not limited to, number of acres treated, number of parcels treated for fuel reduction for defensible space compliance, number of prevention plans created, or number of people reached in a public education project.
pg. 16

7. The project budget and narrative are clear and reasonable. a) The proposed budget shows how grant funds will be spent by category. b) Costs and indirect costs are reasonable for the size, scope, and anticipated benefit of the proposed project.
c) For hazardous fuel reduction projects, the actual number of acres being treated is clearly defined.

8. There is demonstrated capacity to administer the grant. a) The applicant shows an acceptable amount of experience in administering grants. This is largely based on successfully administering other grant- funded projects/activities over the past five years. Project proponents having no previous experience with similar projects should discuss any past experiences that may help show capacity to successfully complete the proposed project. This may include partnering with a more experienced organization that can provide project support. b) Discuss successes and administration of previously awarded CAL FIRE grants or grants administered by the applicant for other granting entities.

9. Fire Risk Reduction Community List per Public Resources Code 4290.1 a) Public Resources Code 4124.7 requires CAL FIRE to “prioritize local assistance grant funding applications” from local agencies based on the “Fire Risk Reduction Community List.” b) The prioritization required in subdivision (a) of Public Resources Code 4124.7 shall not affect applications from entities that are not local agencies. c) Wildfire Prevention Grant applicants will receive priority for utilizing the funding to meet the List eligibility requirements.
d) Wildfire Prevention Grant applicants will also receive priority if the applicant is already on the List. e) Projects are selected on a competitive basis, and consecutive awards are not guaranteed. f) Applicants not eligible for the List are not precluded from receiving grant funds.

For more information about the Fire Risk Reduction Community List, please visit the Board of Forestry website

10. Use of the California Conservation Corps or Certified Community Conservation Corps. a) To the extent feasible, projects that include the use of the California Conservation Corps or a certified Community Conservation Corps, as defined in Section 14507.5 of the Public Resources Code, shall be given preference for receipt of a grant under this division (Pub. Resources Code, section 90150).
b) The application clearly identifies how corps services will be utilized, including the type of work to be performed, anticipated scope, and coordination required. c) If applicable, the applicant provides a Letter of Commitment from the California Conservation Corps or certified Community Conservation Corps confirming interest, availability, and proposed participation in the project.

APPLICATION PROCESS AND PROJECT ADMINISTRATION
Applicants should work with the local CAL FIRE Unit for guidance in developing project plans for your application. Find your local-unit-contact-list.pdf as listed by county. Building a relationship with the local CAL FIRE Unit enhances the potential for a successful application and grant award.

Applications not received by the deadline, not submitted in the CAL FIRE Grants Portal, or that do not adhere to the procedures in this guide, will not be accepted or considered. pg. 17
STAGE 1 - PROJECT APPLICATION
Due July 08, 2026, at 3:00 PM Pacific Time

ELECTRONIC APPLICATION SUBMISSION IN THE CAL FIRE GRANTS PORTAL SOLICITATION LINK ON THE WP GRANTS WEBSITE AND IN THE WP GRANTS MAPPING CENTER PROJECT MAPPING PROGRAM:

The Grants Portal WP Grants solicitation link and a Grants Portal user guide can be found on the Wildfire Prevention Grants website.

Entities with more than one application should consider consolidating into just one application, especially if proposed project(s) are similar or share geographic locations. For additional assistance, work with your local CAL FIRE Unit coordinator or your region representatives.

Upload all documents related to your application to the Grants Portal no later than 3:00 PM Pacific Time on July 08, 2026. Instructions on how to apply through the Grants Portal can be found in the Grants Portal Application Submittal User Guide.

The Grants Portal will issue a Project Tracking Number for each application.

Please use this file naming structure (Project Tracking Number plus document name) for attachments (if you have multiples of one file, please make it into a zip file) uploaded in the Grants Portal. Below is an example (the Grants Portal will assign the actual Project Tracking number that you will use):
• 25-WP-UUU-XXXXXXXX-STD 204.pdf
• 25-WP-UUU- XXXXXXXX-Letter of Support.pdf
• 25-WP-UUU- XXXXXXXX-Letter of Commitment.pdf

PROJECT MAPPING PROGRAM
In addition to the CAL FIRE Grants Portal application package, each applicant must submit online mapping in our WP Grants Mapping Center Project Mapping Program database. Submit your application in the Grants Portal first to obtain the auto-generated Project Tracking Number, which you will need for the mapping program. The online mapping submission consists of submitting a Geopoint for all project types. For Hazardous Fuels Reduction projects, you also will need to submit treatment area polygon(s). The instructions on how to draw and submit a Geopoint and Polygon in the Project Mapping Program can also be found at CAL FIRE WP Grants. There is a video and a quick reference guide with screenshots of the online mapping program. • Applications for Hazardous Fuel Reduction that do not include Treatment Area Polygon(s) in the Project Mapping Program will not be accepted.
• Applications for Wildfire Prevention Planning and Wildfire Prevention Education projects will submit a Geopoint only.
pg. 18
Complete all documents accurately to avoid delays due to corrections and revisions prior to final approval. If revisions are necessary during Stage 2, then the revised documents will be used in the final grant agreement between the State and the grantee.
• Late submissions will be rejected. No exceptions. Late is defined as: after 3:00 PM Pacific Time on the due date according to the date stamp on the CAL FIRE Grants Portal. To avoid possible issues with the Grants Portal (such as internet connectivity and internet speed), applicants are highly encouraged to apply as early as possible.
• Please retain a copy of all documents uploaded to the CAL FIRE Grants Portal for your own records.

DISQUALIFICATION OF APPLICATION
CAL FIRE may consider an application inadequate and, therefore, disqualified from the selection process for several reasons. These may include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Application is not complete.
• Application contains significant inconsistencies with spatial data or project acres proposed for treatment. • The application is not submitted by an eligible applicant in the Grants Portal. • The project does not meet any of the other eligibility criteria outlined in the Grant Guidelines.

STAGE 2 - GRANT APPLICATION REVIEW AND SELECTION
Sacramento staff will review the project application packages for completeness and determine if the project meets the objectives of the program. Applications found to meet the initial criteria will continue in the multi-level review and selection process.

Incomplete applications will be disqualified.

Notification of grants selected for funding will be sent to the applicant. The grant agreement package for successful grant applicants will be emailed after selection and will include any required grant agreement forms and instructions to proceed to Stage 3. The grant agreement template can be found online but may be subject to change prior to the execution of a final agreement.
2024 Standard Grant Terms and Conditions
STAGE 3 - GRANTS AWARDED
Awarded grant applicants shall review and return original signed agreements, and any additional information required, following the instructions provided in the correspondence. Grant agreement packages not completed or received by the agreement deadline may not be eligible for funding.

STAGE 4 – COMPLETED GRANT AGREEMENTS
Once the grant agreement is received and signed by the State Fire Marshal or designee, the approval process is complete. All agreements must be signed and submitted per deadlines established by CAL FIRE. pg. 19
A CAL FIRE designee will be named as the designated contact. The CAL FIRE designee will work with the Region Program Manager on any grant project issues.

The CAL FIRE designee will conduct periodic and final inspections to ensure compliance with the project plan and environmental rules and regulations. All project messaging and documents must be approved by CAL FIRE.

CAL FIRE may perform an audit at any time during or upon completion of the project as described in this guide under “State Audit.”
Grant Termination Date: All project and activity work related to the grant must be completed by the project completion date identified in the executed grant agreement.

PROJECT AMENDMENTS, MODIFICATIONS, AND TERMINATIONS
Before work on the project begins, a Grant Agreement may be terminated by CAL FIRE or the grantee upon 30 days advanced written notice to the other party. After work begins on the Project, termination may occur: (1) if CAL FIRE and the grantee mutually agree to terminate the agreement; (2) if the State determines Grantee has made a material misrepresentation, violated this Agreement, failed to fulfill its obligations under this Agreement, or otherwise determines there is cause to do so; or (3) if the State gives 30-days written notice of termination to Grantee.

Once a Grant Agreement has been signed, it may only be amended with advanced written consent of both CAL FIRE and the grantee. Any amendment requests, including the ability to extend the project timeline, where permissible, must be submitted to CAL FIRE sixty (60) days before the agreement end date using the Grants Portal system. CAL FIRE reserves the right to waive the sixty (60) days in extenuating circumstances.

A grantee wishing to change the scope or budget of an approved project at any stage shall submit the proposed change in writing, on entity letterhead, to CAL FIRE for review. Any change must be consistent with the need cited in the original application and authorizing legislation. Any modification or alteration to the grant agreement on file must be submitted to the State for review and may require a new signed amended agreement. Any reduction in the actual number of acres being treated in a hazardous fuel reduction grant may result in a corresponding reduction of the grant award

ACCOUNTING REQUIREMENTS
The grantee shall maintain an accounting system that follows Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. The accounting system must accurately reflect fiscal transactions, using the necessary controls and safeguards. This system shall provide an adequate audit trail, including original source documents such as receipts, progress payments, invoices, purchase orders, timecards, canceled checks, etc. Please redact account numbers and personal identifying information before submitting invoices. The system shall also provide accounting data so the total cost of each individual project can be readily determined. CAL FIRE may request records and documentation at any time. These records shall be retained by the grantee for a period of three years after final payment is made by the State or one year after final disposition of any disputed audit findings, whichever occurs later, unless it is the grantee’s policy to retain records for a longer duration. Avoid audit exceptions – keep accurate records. pg. 20

LOSS OF FUNDING
The following are examples of actions that may result in a grantee’s loss of funding:
• Grantee withdraws from or fails to complete the funded project (in substantial conformance with the Agreement).
• Grantee fails to submit all required documentation within the time periods specified in the grant agreement.
• Grantee fails to submit evidence of CEQA or NEPA compliance within 12 months of the execution of the agreement as specified by the grant agreement.
• Grantee changes the project scope without the approval of the State. • Grantee or the State terminates the project in accordance with the terms and conditions in the grant agreement.
• Grantee engages in activities that would lead to the project not achieving GHG emissions reductions. • Grantee or anyone acting on behalf of Grantee shall not engage in fraud, waste, or the abuse of Grant Funds in violation of California Penal Code section 424 et seq. Grantee shall cooperate in any investigation of such activities that are suspected in connection with this Agreement. • Recipients of Grant Funds shall receive no more than the fair market value of an arm’s length transaction for any goods or services provided under this Agreement. Grantee shall provide evidence to the State upon request of compliance with this Section 11.e. Violation of this Section 11.e. will result in a violation of California Penal Code section 424, subd. a.

PROPOSITION 4 INDIRECT COST RATES
For grants awarded for projects under Proposition 4, Wildfire Prevention Grants will reimburse the grantee’s indirect costs. The grantee may request one of the following indirect cost rates:
• The grantee’s federal negotiated indirect cost rate, pursuant to its Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA).
• The 15 percent de minimis indirect cost rate specified in Part 200 of Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
• A rate negotiated by the grantee with another state agency within the last five years.

In the event of an audit, projects with budgets that include administrative costs must be able to document the appropriateness of these expenses. If the applicant does not have an existing NICRA, a typical method for documentation of administrative overhead expenses is a Cost Allocation Plan (CAP). A CAP is a formal accounting plan used to calculate and document the method for recovering overhead costs. The CAL FIRE strongly recommends that grantees consult with an accounting professional to develop an appropriate method for calculating the overhead rate and prepare a CAP.
pg. 21

PROJECT COSTS
Project costs must be consistent with the approved project and incurred during the performance period as specified in the grant agreement.

Budget Item Eligible Cost Required Documentation
Salaries and Wages
(Grantee Only)
Salaries and wages of employees employed by the
grantee who are DIRECTLY engaged in the execution of
the grant project. Limited to actual time spent on the
grant project. Leave benefits (i.e., sick leave, vacation, etc.) that are consistent with the grantee’s leave
benefit policy may be charged to the grant in
proportion to the percentage of time worked on the
grant within the pay period. Examples of expenditures
include time-related to site visits and project
monitoring and completion of reporting related to the
grant project. Staff time related to accounting,
business services, etc. are allowed only if those
functions are not included in the grantee's overhead
cost.

A payroll summary of all employees’ time
spent on the project must be provided with
invoices requesting salary/wage
reimbursement. Payroll documentation
should show a nexus between time worked
on the project and wages paid to the
employee after the fact. Timesheets or similar
documentation detailing days and hours
worked on the project must be maintained
and retained by the grantee for audit
purposes but should not be submitted to CAL
FIRE unless otherwise instructed. Any leave
charged to the grant must reflect the
calculation of time spent on the grant
compared to overall time worked. A
statement certifying that leave charged to the
grant is in proportion to employee’s time
spent must be included as part of the
supporting documentation. All salary and
wages charged to the grant must tie back to
the grantee’s accounting records.

Benefits (Grantee
Only)
Employer contribution share of fringe benefits
associated with employees (paid from salaries and
wages Budget Item) who are directly engaged in the
execution of the grant project. This will include Social Security, Medicare, Health Insurance, Pension Plan
costs, Payroll taxes, etc. as applicable for the specific employee.

Same documentation as Salaries and Wages.

Payroll summary documentation showing
wages and hours paid to employee and
associated fringe benefits. Back-up
documentation to be retained by grantee for
audit records.

Contractual Direct consultant and contractual services necessary to achieve the objectives of the grant. Examples of
contractual costs will be RPF supervision/certification, professional/consultant services (the costs of
consultant services necessary for project planning and
implementation), Wildfire Prevention contractor, etc.

Procurement of contractual services should be
documented to ensure selection on a competitive basis
and documentation of price analysis.

Invoices from Consultant/Contractor
identifying expenditure, services performed,
and period of services. When reporting acres,
contractor invoices must identify when and
where the acres were treated. Documents
related to consultant/contractor selection
analysis must be kept by the grantee and
made available for audit purposes, upon
request. Use of California Conservation Corps
or certified community conservation corps is
exempt from competitive selection.
pg. 22
Travel (Grantee
Only)
Travel costs associated with travel to and from project sites, meetings, etc. directly related to the grant
project and must be considered reasonable and
necessary for the completion of the project. Per diem
shall not exceed the California Standard Per Diem Rate
allowable by the U.S. General Services Administration.

Mileage rates shall not exceed the rates allowable by
the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Receipts identifying travel costs (i.e., lodging,
rental cars). Mileage must be documented by
either employee travel claims that are signed
by the employee or vehicle mileage logs for
vehicles owned by the grantee. Per Diem
must be documented by employee travel
claims.
pg. 23
Budget Item Eligible Cost Required Documentation
Supplies (Grantee
Only)
Supplies that are used in the direct support of the
project are allowable. Supplies exceeding. $1,000 per
unit cost shall be documented to ensure procurement
of supplies on a competitive basis and documentation
of price analysis.

Any technology must be identified and pre-approved
by CAL FIRE. Supplies include items under $10,000 per
unit cost. (e.g., chainsaws etc.) All food costs must be pre- approved and explicitly listed in the Scope of
Work, Budget, and Budget narrative in order to be
considered an eligible cost.

Receipts identifying item purchased, cost, and
date of purchase. Documentation related to
price analysis of procurement of supplies
exceeding $1,000 must be kept by the
grantee and made available for audit
purposes upon request.

Equipment (Grantee
Only)
Equipment is an item of $10,000 or more per unit cost
and has a tangible useful life of more than one year.

Purchase of equipment may not exceed $750,000 and
must be owned by the grantee. The cost to lease
equipment to use in the grant project may be charged
to the grant but listed under the ‘Other’ budget
category. A cost-benefit analysis to justify the cost of purchasing equipment versus leasing must be
identified in the scope of work. Procurement of
equipment must be done on a competitive basis and
include documentation of price analysis.

The grantee must include in the application package
the proposed use and maintenance plans for
equipment after the performance period of the grant.

Disposition of equipment beyond the project
performance period is subject to CAL FIRE approval. If
grantee fails to complete grant or dissolves during
grant, grantee must dispose of the equipment in
accordance with an equipment disposition plan that is
approved by CAL FIRE in advance. Equipment
purchased using grant funds can not be used as
collateral, financed, or sold without written approval
from the State at its discretion.

Cost of equipment purchased shall be
substantiated by purchase receipt and a bid
quote worksheet at the time of invoicing. All
documentation related to price analysis of
procurement of equipment must be kept by
the grantee and made available for audit
purposes, upon request. Disposition of the
equipment must be submitted and approved
by CAL FIRE every two years upon completion
of the project until notified in writing by CAL
FIRE that reporting is no longer required.

Other (Grantee
Only)
Other costs that do not fit in any of the above
categories. The cost must be directly related to the
grant project. A cost (such as rent, utilities, phones, general office supplies, etc.) that must be apportioned to the grant is considered indirect cost unless written justification is submitted and approved by CAL FIRE.

Use of equipment owned by the grantee may be
charged to the grant at a rate set by the California
Department of Transportation Labor Surcharge and
Equipment Rental Rate Guide. Example, grantee has a
rental rate in Other for equipment and Fuel in Supplies for said equipment. As per the Cal-Trans guideline, fuel is calculated and accounted for in the rate.

Invoices or receipts identifying the item and
cost charged to the grant. Cost of leased
equipment charged to the grant must be
substantiated with receipts identifying
equipment leased, dates equipment was
leased, lease rate and total cost. Use of
grantee equipment must be substantiated
with an equipment usage log that identifies
the equipment used, rate, and total rental
cost.
pg. 24
Budget Item Eligible Cost Required Documentation
Indirect Costs
(Grantee Only)
Indirect Costs are costs associated with doing
business that are of a general nature and are incurred
to benefit two or more functions within the grantee
organization. These costs are not usually identified
specifically in the grant agreement, project, or activity, but are necessary for the general operation of the
organization. Examples include salaries and benefits of employees not directly assigned to a project; functions such as personnel, accounting, budgeting, audits,
business services, information technology, janitorial,
and rent, utilities, supplies, etc. Functions included as direct versus indirect costs must be applied
consistently for all activities within the Grantee
organization, regardless of fund source. For grants
awarded for projects under Proposition 4, Wildfire
Prevention Grants will reimburse the grantee’s indirect costs. The grantee may request one of the following
indirect cost rates:

The grantee’s federal negotiated indirect cost rate,
pursuant to its Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate
Agreement (NICRA).

The 15 percent de minimis indirect cost rate specified
in Part 200 of Title 2 of the Code of Federal
Regulations.

A rate negotiated by the grantee with another state
agency within the last five years.

A rate proposed by the grantee in the grantee’s
program application with the administering state
agency if the grantee does not have an existing state
rate.

Grantee can request an indirect cost rate of 15% to
20%.

Applied on a percentage (%) basis on direct
costs except for equipment. Documentation
related to the determination of the grantee’s
indirect cost rate must be retained by the
grantee and made available upon request for
audit purposes.
25 PAYMENT OF GRANT FUNDS
Funds will be disbursed only when there is a fully executed grant agreement between CAL FIRE and the grantee.

An agreement is considered fully executed upon signature and approval by the State Fire Marshal or designee. All payments are made on a reimbursement basis, except in cases where CAL FIRE authorizes advance payments. (i.e., the grantee is invoiced for services, products, or supplies; invoices CAL FIRE for same; and is reimbursed by the State upon approval of the invoice). No work prior to or after the grant period will be reimbursable.

CAL FIRE has the legal right to conduct a spot inspection to verify that work invoiced has been satisfactorily completed. If a financial report is incomplete or non-reimbursable, it will be returned to the grantee.

STATE CONFLICT OF INTEREST LAWS
All applicants, individuals who participate in the review of submitted Project Proposals, and grantees are subject to state and federal conflict-of-interest laws. Applicable statutes include, but are not limited to, California Government Code section 1090 and Public Contract Code sections 10365.5, 10410, and 10411. These statutes include, but are not limited to, prohibitions on the following conduct:
a) Current State Officers or Employees: No State officer or employee shall engage in any employment, activity, or enterprise from which the officer or employee receives compensation or has a financial interest, and which is sponsored or funded by any State agency, unless the employment, activity, or enterprise is required as a condition of regular State employment. No State officer or employee shall contract on his or her own behalf as an independent contractor with any State agency to provide goods or services.
b) Former State Officers or Employees: For the two-year period from the date he or she left State employment, no former State officer or employee may enter into a contract in which he or she engaged in any of the negotiations, transactions, planning, arrangements, or any part of the decision-making process relevant to the contract while employed in any capacity by any State agency. For the twelve-month period from the date he or she left State employment, no former State officer or employee may enter into a contract with any State agency if he or she was employed by that State agency in a policy-making position in the same general subject area as the proposed contract within the twelve-month period prior to his or her leaving State service.

Any individual who has participated in planning or setting priorities for a specific grant solicitation over and above the public comment process or who will participate in any part of the grant development and negotiation process on behalf of the State is ineligible to receive funds or personally benefit from funds through that solicitation.

Failure to comply with conflict-of-interest laws, including business and financial disclosure provisions, will result in the Project Proposal being rejected or any grant agreement made in violation of the conflict-of-interest laws being declared void. CAL FIRE may request additional documentation during the performance of the grant, including review of financial progress reporting, or during State Audit to verify that a conflict of interest does not exist.

Other legal actions may also be taken.

If an applicant has any questions about compliance with conflicts of interest laws, the applicant should consult the California Fair Political Practices Commission or a qualified attorney. 26 CAL FIRE may require Grantee to establish conflict-of-interest policies and procedures and maintain adequate controls to ensure that the grantee or anyone acting on behalf of the grantee does not have any conflicting personal or financial interest associated with activities funded by the grant project. CAL FIRE may request additional documentation during the performance of the grant, including during review of financial or progress reporting, or during State Audit to verify that a conflict of interest does not exist.

Private Benefit Prohibited
Grantee will not be reimbursed for any costs that exceed the fair market value of an “arm’s length” transaction for goods or services rendered in furtherance of the grant project.

An “arm’s length” transaction exists where the parties have an adverse (or opposing) interest. For example, a seller wants to sell his goods at the highest possible price, while a buyer wants to buy at the lowest possible price.

These are adverse interests. In negotiating with a person, an adverse interest is assumed if that person is otherwise unrelated to you in the sense of not being in a position to exercise substantial influence over you or your affairs. If the person is in a position to exercise substantial influence over your affairs, then an arm’s length standard requires additional precautions to eliminate the effect of the relationship. Using a conflict-of-interest policy, information about comparable transactions between unrelated parties, and reliable methods for evaluating the transaction, are examples of precautions that would help make the negotiation process equivalent to one between unrelated persons.

Fair market value is the price at which goods, services, or property would change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither being under any compulsion to buy, sell, or transfer the goods, services, or property, and both having reasonable knowledge of relevant facts.

Grant recipients must avoid or scrutinize transactions that exhibit signs of actual or possible conflicts-of-interests and should avoid even the appearance of conflicts. The appearance of a conflict of interest occurs when a person in a position of authority over an organization, such as a director, officer, or manager, may benefit personally from a decision he or she could make.

Conflict-of-interest red flags may also include organizations that engage in transactions that are less than “arm’s length” indicating there may be a bargain or gift element, such as transactions with friends and relatives, or receiving gifts from contractors. In addition, transactions with organizations that have several employees or Board members who are personally or professionally related should be highly scrutinized.

ADVANCE PAYMENTS
In accordance with Public Resources Code section 4124.5, or other applicable statutory authority, advance payments may be considered for non-profit organizations, local agencies, Resource Conservation Districts, special districts, and Native American tribes. Advance payments are solely at CAL FIRE’s discretion and eligibility and may be subject to change. An advance request form must be submitted identifying how funds may be used over a sixmonth period.

Advance payments must be deposited into a federally insured, interest-bearing account that provides the ability to track interest earned and withdrawals. Any interest earned on advance payment funds must be accounted for as project income and used toward offsetting the project cost or returned to the STATE. Refer to Appendix K on calculations and supporting documentation for interest income. All other advance payment requests shall not exceed 25% of the total grant award.
27 Advances must be fully utilized within a six-month period unless additional time has been requested and is approved by CAL FIRE.

Additional advances may not be requested until acceptable documentation is received that the previous advance has been fully liquidated on eligible expenses. In addition, an accountability report must be submitted to CAL FIRE every four months upon receipt of funds until funds have been fully liquidated.

CAL FIRE processes for approving and managing grant advances are subject to change.

STATE AUDIT
Projects may be audited at any time during the project performance period and for three years after final payment by the State.

The purpose of an audit is to verify compliance with governing criteria requirements, confirm that expenditures are appropriate and accurately charged, and identify opportunities to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, accountability, and transparency of the grant program.

When project(s) are selected for audit, the grantee must immediately locate and preserve all records that may be related to the funded project(s). This mandatory hold prohibits the destruction, deletion, or alteration of any potentially relevant information including, but not limited to, emails, texts, photographs, computer files, notes, correspondence, and other documentation. Records must be organized, secured, and readily accessible. Because relevant information may exist across multiple locations and devices, the grantee must take reasonable steps to identify and retain all materials in their possession and those held by employees, contractors, and consultants.

This includes data stored on computers, servers, mobile devices, external drives, cloud storage, and backup media. The grantee must also notify all associated personnel of their obligation to preserve records.

The grantee shall provide the State of California, CAL FIRE, and/or any other entity designated by the State with unrestricted access to all functions, data, records, information, physical property, and personnel that are related to administration of the grant and necessary to perform the audit. All such records and materials shall be made available at reasonable times for auditing purposes.

If the audit reveals the grantee failed to comply with the terms and conditions of the grant agreement, or if there are concerns regarding the integrity or management of the project(s). To protect public funds, potential remedies may include, but are not limited to, suspension of project activities, withholding payments, disallowing unallowable or unsupported costs, recovery of funds, terminating the grant, deeming the grantee ineligible for future funding, and making investigative referrals when warranted.

Grantees must retain source documents for all grant-related expenditures for at least three (3) years after final payment by the State, or one year after an audit is completed, whichever is later, unless a longer retention period is required by the grantee’s internal policies.
28 IV. EXPLANATION OF TERMS

TERM EXPLANATION
Agreement A legally binding agreement between the State and another entity.

Amendment A formal modification or a material change of the Agreement, such as terms, cost, budget, or scope of work.

Applicant The entity who has applied requested grant funds.

Application The form identified by CAL FIRE as the document to be submitted by an applicant requesting grant funds, and its required supporting attachments, as required by the enabling legislation or program.

Appropriation A legislative budget authorization from a specific fund to a specific agency or program to make expenditures or incur obligations for a specific purpose and period.

Authorized
Representative
The designated person or position identified by the Grantee as the agent to sign all required grant documents including, but not limited to, grant agreements, Application forms, and payment requests.

CEQA The California Environmental Quality Act, as stated in the PRC 21000 et sq.; Title 14 California Code of Regulations (CCR) 15000 et seq., CEQA is a law establishing policies and procedures that require agencies to identify, disclose to decision makers and the public, and attempt to lessen significant impacts to environmental and historical resources that may occur because of the agency's proposed Project.

Consultant Services Services which provide a recommended course of action or personal expertise, such as accounting or a Registered Professional Forester (RPF).

Contractor An entity contracting with the grantee for services and generally receives a Form 1099 for tax purposes.

Disadvantaged
Community (DAC)
means a community with a median household income of less than 80 percent of the area average or less than 80 percent of statewide median household income consistent with Public Resources Code section 90100. Disadvantaged Communities Mapping Tool.

Direct Costs Expenses of doing business that are directly attributable to the Project. Examples of direct costs are salaries and benefits of employees directly associated with a Project or expenses of items used directly by the Project.

Employee Individuals employed directly by the grantee and who generally receive a W-2 for tax purposes.

Encumbrance A commitment of funds guaranteeing a source of payment for a specific Agreement.

Execution of an
Agreement
The act of signing an Agreement, which provides a legal basis for required performance by parties to the Agreement.

Grantee The entity that has an executed grant agreement for the award of grant funds. 29 Indirect Costs Expenses of doing business that are of a general nature and are incurred to benefit at least two or more functions within an organization. These costs are not usually identified specifically with a grant, grant agreement, Project, or activity, but are necessary for the general operation of the organization. Examples of Indirect Costs include salaries and benefits of employees not directly assigned to a Project; functions, such as personnel, business services, information technology, janitorial, and rent, utilities, supplies, etc. Indirect Costs may be referred to as overhead or administrative costs.

Informal Amendment An agreement modification is an informal agreement Informal amendment that moves dollars in the line item and task budgets not to exceed 10% of total grant amount; changes deliverable due dates or makes a minor change in the work in accordance with the intent of the legislation. It does n ot require a formal amendment of the grant agreement. See the modifications section for further requirements.

Non-profit Organization Any California corporation organized under Sections 501(c)(3) of the Federal Internal Revenue Code. A letter of determination certifying non-profit status will be required prior to Project approval.

Operating Expenses (Direct Costs) Any cost that can be specifically identified as generated by and in accordance with the provisions or activity requirements of the grant agreement.

Payee Data Record (Std. 204) Form Std. 204, "Payee Data Record" is required for all grant recipients. The form must be submitted to establish a vendor number for payment and to have funds encumbered.

Personnel Services This budgeted amount includes salaries and benefits for wage-earning personnel employed by the
grantee/contractor (not a subcontractor) and working on the Project.

Program Income Income that is generated directly by Grantee's performance of the Project, including any interest earned on Advance Payments.

Project Performance Period The period during which the Project Scope of Work costs may be incurred, and the work described in the Project Scope of Work must be completed, billed, and paid for by the State. Only eligible costs incurred during the Project Performance Period will be paid.

Project The term "Project" means the activity or work to be accomplished utilizing grant funds and match (if applicable).

Project Scope of Work The term “Project Scope of Work” defines the individual scope of work or activity describing in detail the proposed tasks identified, as described in enabling legislation and in the grant agreement.

Project Budget Narrative The term "Project Budget Narrative" defines the proposed detailed budget plan.

Resolution The purpose of a resolution by a grantee’s governing body is to allow the entity to sign Agreements and amendments for a specific project, i.e., it allows the designated entity to enter into an agreement with the State of California, and it designates someone to sign on behalf of the grantee’s governing board. A signed resolution can be submitted at the time the signed grant agreements are returned to CAL FIRE’s Grants Management Unit, Sacramento Headquarters.

Severely Disadvantaged
Community
A community with a median household income of less than 60 percent of the area average or less than 60 percent of statewide median household income consistent with Public Resources Code section 90100. Disadvantaged Communities Mapping Tool.

Vulnerable population A subgroup of the population within a region or community that faces a disproportionately heightened risk or increased sensitivity to the impacts of climate change and that lacks adequate resources to cope with, adapt to, or recover from such impacts with Public Resources Code Section 90100.
30 PROP 4 TOOLS
Multiple tools are available to understand climate vulnerability in California, including:
• Defining Vulnerable Communities in The Context Of Climate Adaptation • Vulnerable Communities Platform
• Climate Change & Health Vulnerability Indicators for California • California Wildfire Smoke and Air Pollution Health Burden Mapping Dashboard • Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ) Maps
• Native American Contact List
V. APPENDICES
Appendix A: Environmental Compliance for CAL FIRE Projects (CEQA) Appendix B: Sample Resolution (not required)
Appendix C: Invoice
Appendix D: State of California Standard Required Forms Appendix E: CalMAPPER (Awarded Grants Only)
Appendix F: Low-Income and Disadvantaged Communities Appendix G: PDF Project Map Appendix H: Justification for indirect rate above 15% and supporting documentation Appendix I: Application Package Appendix J: Additional Resources APPENDIX A – ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE FOR CAL FIRE PROJECTS NOTE: Grantee must submit proof of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) or National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance within one year of the execution of the grant agreement, unless a longer period is approved by CAL FIRE. To ensure this occurs in a timely manner, the grantee should contact the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) Local Unit Contact as soon as possible after receiving the executed Grant Agreement.

NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (NEPA) COMPLIANCE
Project work involving Federal actions must comply with NEPA.

Regardless of jurisdiction, CEQA Compliance is required when using Wildfire Prevention grant funds. For Federal jurisdictions that meet the requirements of Public Resources Code (PRC) section 4799.05(d)(1), a CEQA notice of exemption will need to be filed. This means that prescribed fire, reforestation, habitat restoration, thinning, or fuel reduction projects undertaken, in whole or in part, on federal lands to reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire that have been reviewed under NEPA may not need additional analysis and would be statutorily exempt from CEQA. See Item #5 below.
31 CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA)
Within one year of the execution of the grant agreement and prior to commencing any work that could impact the environment, CAL FIRE requires proof of adequate compliance with CEQA. This may be accomplished by one or more of the following methods:
a) Notice of exemption filed with the State Clearinghouse and, if required, the county clerk. Note that PRC § 21159.27 prohibits a project from being divided into smaller projects to qualify for one or more exemptions.
b) Initial study and negative declaration or mitigated negative declaration and all associated noticing documents filed with the State Clearinghouse and the county clerk. c) Draft and final environmental impact report and all associated noticing documents filed with the State Clearinghouse and the county clerk.

A map(s) showing the grant project boundary overlaid with the CEQA project boundary and identifying all treatment types. Maps must contain a legend defining all components, a datum point, a north arrow, and a bar scale. Including shapefiles identifying the “treatment” area surveyed where activities will be conducted during the grant period. d) Timber harvesting permit or notice in compliance with the California Forest Practice Act and Rules for projects that undertake timber operations per PRC § 4527. Note that use of timber harvest documents for CEQA compliance in the absence of timber operations is not appropriate, as the Forest Practice Act and Rules do not apply in these circumstances. Applicants that will be utilizing timber harvest documents for CEQA compliance should identify within the harvest documents that they are receiving CAL FIRE grant funding.
e) Finding of no significant impact-decision notice, categorical exclusion- decision memo, or environmental impact statement-record of decision prepared in compliance with the NEPA for projects that are exempt from CEQA pursuant to PRC § 4799.05(d)(1). When using a NEPA document, per PRC § 4799.05(d)(4)(A), a CEQA notice of exemption needs to be filed with the State Clearinghouse and with the county clerk in the county in which the project will be located in the manner specified in subdivisions (b) and (c) of Section 21108 or subdivisions (b) and (c) of Section 21152. The lead agency will also need to post the notice of exemption on its internet website together with a description of where the documents analyzing the environmental impacts of the project under the federal National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 are available for public review.
f) For activities proposed under a Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) (CEQA Guidelines §15168), like the California Vegetation Treatment Program (CalVTP), the PEIR, one of the following must be provided:
• A checklist or similar evaluation tool (like a Project Specific Analysis (PSA) for the CalVTP) demonstrating that site-specific impacts were considered and that applicable mitigation measures from the Program EIR are incorporated; or
• An Initial Study leading to a Negative Declaration, Mitigated Negative Declaration, or subsequent EIR if new effects not addressed in the Program EIR would occur; or • Documentation that the activity is within the scope of the Program EIR, supported by substantial evidence in the record; or
• Other documentation showing compliance with CEQA Guidelines §§15162–15164 regarding subsequent, supplemental, or addendum analysis. 32 For exempt projects where the grantee is a public agency, the grantee must prepare and file the notice of exemption for an exempt project. For exempt projects where the grantee is not a public agency (e.g., Fire Safe Council), CAL FIRE, or another public agency will be responsible for preparing and filing the notice of exemption.

For non-exempt projects where the grantee is a public agency, the grantee will assume the role of lead agency.

For non-exempt projects where the grantee is not a public agency (e.g., Fire Safe Council), CAL FIRE or another public agency will need to assume the role of lead agency. The lead agency is responsible for: (a) performing the necessary environmental effects analysis; (b) preparing environmental documents; and (c) filing associated notices.

The lead agency may require the grantee to prepare, or retain a consultant to prepare, the environmental documents required for demonstrating adequate compliance with CEQA. When CAL FIRE is the lead agency, the grantee must work closely with CAL FIRE staff to ensure the environmental documents reflect CAL FIRE’s independent judgment.

When CAL FIRE is not the lead agency and an environmental impact report (“EIR”), negative declaration or mitigated negative declaration (“ND/MND”) has been, or will be, prepared, CAL FIRE will assume the responsible agency role and review an approved environmental analysis by the lead agency, make an independent judgement about the environmental impacts analyzed, and file a Notice of Determination (“NOD”) with the State Clearinghouse.

NOTE: Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15096, the lead agency may be responsible for consulting with CAL FIRE and other responsible agencies before making its determination regarding the project’s potential impacts and the level of CEQA review required.

If a lead agency determines a project is exempt from CEQA and files a Notice of Exemption (NOE), CAL FIRE, as a responsible agency, must still ensure that its own discretionary decision (funding the project) complies with CEQA.

CAL FIRE will review the exemption and supporting materials to confirm that grant-funded project activities are within the scope cited in the exemption and, if a categorical exemption is used, that no exceptions to the exemption apply. CAL FIRE may request additional documentation or analysis from the grantee to verify that the grant project qualifies for the exemption.

If CAL FIRE determines a CEQA document utilized by another lead agency does not adequately cover all grantfunded project activities or otherwise does not comply with the requirements of the law applicable to CAL FIRE’s decision to award grant funding, the grantee may need to do additional environmental analysis to receive environmental compliance approval.

CAL FIRE will review the project, its CEQA documentation, and supporting materials to ensure that potential significant environmental impacts of all grant-funded activities, including by type and location, have been adequately addressed. CAL FIRE may request additional information to determine that CEQA documentation adequately evaluates the environmental impacts of all grant-funded activities. The grantee must plan accordingly and allow sufficient time for CAL FIRE to complete its review, recognizing that timelines may vary based on the complexity of the CEQA documents, the presence of sensitive natural or cultural resources, and the overall scope of the project. Grant Activities that could affect the environment cannot begin without written environmental compliance approval from CAL FIRE to the grantee.

Grantees should ensure they ask for adequate funds for environmental work when applying for grants. When preparing their budgets, grantees should consider the need to contract with appropriate resource professionals to do the necessary environmental effects assessment and document preparation work. This may include biologists, professional archaeologists, air quality experts, registered professional foresters, environmental planners, etc. 33 For all environmental documents where CAL FIRE is the lead agency, except timber harvesting permits or notices, cultural resources must be assessed per the procedures outlined in Cultural Resources Review Procedures for CAL FIRE Projects. This may require the grantee to consult with the appropriate CAL FIRE archaeologist to determine if impacts to cultural resources are possible and what, if any, assessment or mitigation work will have to be done. This consultation should be done as early in the planning process as possible.

NOTE: Per CAL FIRE’s procedures, a CAL FIRE Certified Archaeological Surveyor certificate can only be used when CAL FIRE is the lead agency for CEQA. This means that when a grantee or another public agency assumes the role of lead agency, the grantee CANNOT use a CAL FIRE Certified Archaeological Surveyor certificate to obtain records from the California Historical Resources Information System (CHRIS).

CAL FIRE must review all environmental documents and associated notices for adequate compliance with applicable procedures and CEQA.
“Public agency” includes the following:
• PRC § 21062. “Local agency” means any public agency other than a state agency, board, or commission.

For purposes of this division redevelopment agency and a local agency formation commission are local agencies, and neither is a state agency, board, or commission. • PRC § 21063. “Public agency” includes any state agency, board, or commission, any county, city and county, city, regional agency, public district, redevelopment agency, or other political subdivision. • 14 CCR § 15368 “Local agency” means any public agency other than a state agency, board, or commission.

Local agency includes but is not limited to cities, counties, charter cities and counties, districts, school districts, special districts, redevelopment agencies, local agency formation commissions, and any board, commission, or organizational subdivision of a local agency when so designated by order or resolution of the governing legislative body of the local agency.
• 14 CCR § 15379 “Public agency” includes any state agency, board, or commission and any local or regional agency, as defined in these Guidelines. It does not include the courts of the state. This term does not include agencies of the federal government.
34 APPENDIX B – SAMPLE RESOLUTION (NOT REQUIRED)
35 APPENDIX C – INVOICE

INVOICE GUIDELINES
It is preferred, but is not required, that grantees use the invoice template posted on the CAL FIRE Grants website. Due to differences in accounting systems used by the grantee, the grantee must include the following elements when submitting a payment request, either on the grantee’s invoice or as an attachment to the invoice.

If a grantee chooses to use their invoice in lieu of the invoice template provided, the invoice must be put on grantee’s official letterhead.

1. The word “Invoice” shall appear at the top of the page.

2. Grantee Information – Includes the grantee name and address which shall match the Std. 204 - Payee Data Record submitted with the grant agreement. Payment will be submitted to this address after the financial report has been approved. Grantee shall notify CAL FIRE in writing regarding address changes and effective dates.

3. Invoice Date and Number – Date invoice was issued and unique invoice number to be determined by the grantee for reference.

4. Grant Identification – Grant Number, Grant Performance Period, and Project Name as identified in the Grant Agreement.

5. Invoice reporting period – Performance start and end dates for which grantee is invoicing CAL FIRE. Under no circumstances will an invoice period outside of the grant performance period be accepted.

6. Payment Type – Indicate whether the invoice is to request an advance payment, interim payment, or final payment.

7. Cost breakdown – Grantee costs must be broken down by the budget item consistent with the approved budget in the Grant Agreement. The grantee must identify the amount for which CAL FIRE is being billed in the invoice period and the total amount spent and match (if applicable) from the beginning of the grant performance period through the invoice period. Advance requests should still include a breakdown of the budget items for which the grantee is planning to expend the funds.

8. Offset to current cost – Include the balance of advance funds given to grantee as well as program income earned from the grant if applicable.

9. The total amount for which grantee is requesting reimbursement from CAL FIRE.

10. Grantee contact name, phone number, and email address for questions related to the invoice.

11. All backup documentation to support the invoice (see Project Costs section).

12. Certification and signature of authorized representative - Please see sample invoice for certification language.
36 APPENDIX D – STATE OF CALIFORNIA STANDARD REQUIRED FORMS THESE STANDARD FORMS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN THE GRANTS PORTAL WITH THE PROJECT APPLICATION. THE STANDARD FORMS BELOW ARE ALSO LINKED IN THE GRANTS PORTAL.

Payee Data Record form (STD. 204) – CAL FIRE utilizes this form internally for all grantees. This form is required for all applicants, including local governments, despite the language on the form. Payee Data Record STD. 204 APPENDIX E – CALMAPPER (AWARDED GRANTS ONLY)
All Prop 4 funded projects will be recorded in CAL FIRE’s Management Activity Project Planning & Event Reporter (CalMAPPER). To achieve this, grantees must provide spatial information via shapefiles about where the project occurs on the landscape, identify treatments for their project, and identify what activities occurred.

Submission of all activities completed must be submitted with invoices or other methods identified by the Grants Program. This may be requested as often as ground-disturbing work is performed.

APPENDIX G – PDF PROJECT MAP
In addition to the online WP Grants Mapping Center project mapping program Geopoint and polygons, include a pdf map(s) of the project with the project application. The map(s) shall meet the following requirements:
• Electronic format of PDF.
• Printed format(s) should measure 8 ½ by 11 inches.
• The scale should be 1:24,000 scale or finer. The maps should show enough of the surrounding area so that the application review team can get a sense of the relationship of the project to the surrounding area. • The map(s) should clearly show:
o Project boundaries
o Treatment area(s) by type
o Roads
o Watercourses
o Parcels
o City/County/Unit
o Proximity to wildfire-threatened communities
o Other necessary information
• Legend: Include a map legend that identifies:
o The features on the map
o The project tracking number
o Project name
o Project proponent
37 APPENDIX H – JUSTIFICATION FOR INDIRECT COST RATE > 15% Applicants that utilize a higher indirect rate on non-CAL FIRE grants and agreements may request to apply an indirect cost rate in excess of 15% as part of their application. The request shall include a detailed justification as a separate attachment to the grant application indicating why a higher rate is needed for the grant project along with supporting documentation as to how the higher indirect rate is determined. Supporting documentation may include, but is not limited to, the entity’s Federally approved Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Proposal. Submittal of the justification and supporting documentation does not guarantee approval of the higher rate which is solely at CAL FIRE’s discretion.

Applicants requesting the higher rate may include the higher rate within the total application request and within the budget breakdown. CAL FIRE will evaluate the request for a higher indirect rate concurrently with the grant application. If the project is approved, but the higher indirect rate is not, CAL FIRE will notify the Grantee of the reduced award amount and request changes to the budget, if needed.

For grants awarded for projects under Proposition 4, Wildfire Prevention Grants will reimburse the grantee’s indirect costs. The grantee may request one of the following indirect cost rates:
• The grantee’s federal negotiated indirect cost rate, pursuant to its Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA).
• The 15 percent de minimis indirect cost rate specified in Part 200 of Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
• A rate negotiated by the grantee with another state agency within the last five years. • A rate proposed by the grantee in the grantee’s program application with the administering state agency if the grantee does not have an existing state rate.
• Grantee can request an indirect cost rate of 15% to 20%.

APPENDIX I – APPLICATION PACKAGE
A COMPLETE APPLICATION PACKAGE INCLUDES AND IS REQUIRED TO BE CONSIDERED:

Grants Portal (Solicitation Link on WP Grants website):
• Application
• Scope of Work
• Budget
• Goals
• File Uploads*
• Online submission of Geopoint or polygons in the Project Mapping Program *File uploads to Grants Portal:
• PDF version of Project Map(s) (formatted to 8 ½” x 11”) • Articles of Incorporation, including document w/seal from Secretary of State (non- profit applicants) • State of California Payee Data Record form (Std. 204) – see Appendix D • Letter(s) of Commitment if matching funds or services are included • Letter(s) of Support (not required)
• University of California (UC)/ California State University (CSU) Model Agreement Template (Required for UC/CSU and associated auxiliary entities)
38 Board Resolution granting authority to sign if non-profit or local government, a signed resolution may be requested if necessary.

ZIP MULTIPLE FILES OF ONE TYPE, I.E., MULTIPLE LETTERS OF SUPPORT, TRAVEL POLICY (IF TRAVEL IS INCLUDED), FOR FUELS REDUCTION WORK; SHAPE FILES ARE REQUIRED, AND UPLOAD AS A SINGLE ZIP FILE.

APPENDIX J – ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Local CAL FIRE Unit (Vegetation Management Foresters and Local Wildfire Prevention Grants Resources) [email protected] (Southern Region Contact) [email protected] (Northern Region Contact)
[email protected] (Wildfire Prevention Grants Program Analysts) [email protected] (Grants Administration)
Subscribe to CAL FIRE grant email notifications to be notified when our workshops are scheduled and to receive solicitation announcements.

APPENDIX K – CALCULATING INTEREST ON ADVANCE PAYMENTS
Interest on Advance Payments must be reported on invoices as Program Income no less frequently than quarterly, unless otherwise waived by CAL FIRE. Documentation to be provided with the invoice should include a copy of the statement showing the grantee’s name, initial deposit of the advance funds into the account and the interest rate earned for each statement period associated with the invoice period reported until the advance funds have been fully liquidated. It is advised that the account number and other sensitive information be redacted from the bank statement.

Separate Account for Advance Payments: Advance funds deposited in a separate interest- bearing account that is not comingled with any other funds should provide a copy of the statement showing the interest earned for each statement period. The amount reflected as interest earned on each statement should tie to the Program Income reported on the invoice, unless there is additional program income earned.

Co-mingled Advance Payments: Advance funds that are co-mingled with other funds shall include a copy of the statement for each statement period associated with the advance funds. The calculation for the invoice period must be included and the total interest should tie to the Program Income reported on the invoice, unless there is additional program income earned. The interest earned can be calculated as:

Formula:
39 Remaining advance funds x interest rate % = Annual Interest. Annual Interest/365 days =Daily Rate.

Daily Rate x number of days = Interest/Program Income
Use of an alternative calculation method based on the grantee’s accounting process may be accepted at CAL FIRE’s discretion.