Resources and News Now’s the Time To Apply for Prop 68 Grant Funding

Proposition 68 (or Prop 68) is the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2018. The $4 billion Act was signed in 2017 and focuses on preserving environmental resources and improving quality of living throughout the state.

While this funding introduces new opportunities to build healthier California communities, accessing these funds requires you to have an understanding of the Act (and a plan for executing your project upon receipt of funds).

What is Proposition 68?

Prop 68 was introduced to help California jurisdictions protect water and outdoor resources, including:

• Establishing and improving public parks
• Improving access to clean, safe drinking water
• Environmental protection and restoration
• Climate adaptation projects (e.g., floods, wildfires)

Who is eligible for Prop 68 funds?

The Act’s funds are designated for:

• Public agencies
• Nonprofit organizations
• Public works departments
• Mutual water companies
• Federally recognized Indian tribes, states Indian tribes (those listed on the Native American Heritage Commission’s California Tribal Consultation List)

From July 2019 to June 2020, the Act’s funds were only able to be used for overnight coastal accommodations, coastal redwood forests, and a variety of projects in the San Francisco Bay.

As the funding becomes available more widely, the Coast Conservancy is accepting pre-proposal applications from government agencies, federally-recognized tribes, and nonprofit organizations.

What projects are eligible for funding?

In order to be eligible for funding, projects are required to be recreational in purpose. The Act splits these projects into acquisition and development projects, which must be applied for separately.

While multiple projects can be submitted and completed under a single contractor, each project requires a separate application, and a project can only have one location. (For example, a project across multiple parks will not be eligible for funding — rather, each location must have its own application and will be considered its own project.)

For projects that don’t serve what the Act defines as a “severely disadvantaged community” (i.e., median household income less than 60% of the California average), a 20% match must be made by the jurisdiction where the project is located.

How do eligible entities get Prop 68 funding?

Pre-proposal applications are accepted on an ongoing basis from eligible entities. And grant rounds for specific project types and locations are also recurring.

You’ve secured funds — now what?

SAFEbuilt has already helped several cities secure funds and begin designs for park spaces in their communities. In fact, landscape architecture (supported by electrical engineering, traffic engineering, transportation planning, and more) is one of our many areas of expertise.

Find out how we’re serving communities utilizing Prop 68 funding.

Antelope Creek Park (Woodlake)

Through engineering, landscape architecture, and design services, our work at Antelope Creek Park will convert an existing olive grove into a 20-acre community and regional destination, including educational gardens, sports fields, and children’s play areas.

North Sphere Regional Park (Palm Desert)

Through landscape architecture and planning and design services, our work at North Sphere Regional Park will help create new recreational opportunities and activities for the thriving community in the Coachella Valley.

Let’s get to work for your community

Skip managing multiple companies and contracts. Because we staff multi-disciplinary professionals backed by expertise from across the United States and a deep understanding of Prop 68, we can be your go-to for many areas of your project.

Get in touch with our team to learn more about how we can help you get your project underway (and reduce extra administrative work).