SACRAMENTO, CA – April 24, 2024 – Moving to support the work and voices of California Native American tribes in developing climate solutions, the state’s Strategic Growth Council (SGC) today unveiled the inaugural recipients of the Tribal Capacity Building Pilot Program. Six tribal communities will be awarded up to $250,000 each to fund visionary and dynamic projects over the next two years.
“The Tribal Capacity Building Pilot Program represents a key part of SGC’s goals to hear and be responsive to the needs of California Native American tribes, and they further represent our unwavering dedication to advance projects that improve the quality of life of all Californians,” said Lynn von Koch-Liebert, Executive Director of the California Strategic Growth Council. “We hope this Pilot Round of the Program can serve as a model for supporting tribes in developing long-term capacity to secure funding and implement tribally-led climate solutions.”
The six awardees are:
- Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of Trinidad Rancheria Region: North Coast
- Confederated Villages of Lisjan Nation Region: Bay Area
- Esselen Tribe of Monterey County Region: Central Coast
- Mooretown Rancheria of Concow-Maidu Indians of California Region: Northern Sierras
- Winnemem Wintu Region: North State
- yak tityu tityu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash Tribe Region: Central Coast
"The Confederated Villages of Lisjan Nation is extremely grateful to be receiving this grant,” said Corrina Gould, Tribal Chair of the Confederated Villages of Lisjan Nation. “This grant will help us to achieve many of our capacity building goals and will give us the opportunity to provide more Tribal members with trainings, knowledge, and a chance for us to grow together.”
"The Strategic Growth Council opportunity will allow Mooretown to develop a workforce for climate resiliency, grow our youth outreach program and strengthen partnerships with State and Federal agencies," said Matthew Hatcher, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer of the Mooretown Rancheria of Concow-Maidu Indians of California.
The projects supported by the grant span a spectrum of innovation and ingenuity, and will focus on critical climate issues impacting California and the world, including mitigation, adaptation, and resilience.
SGC received a total of 31 applications for the Tribal Capacity Building Program’s Pilot Round and six tribal applicants were selected to receive awards. The awardees represent tribes across California.
"The Tribal Capacity Building Pilot Program recognizes that California’s strategic future relies on the health and prosperity of federally and non-federally recognized tribes,” said Juan Sanchez Munoz, SGC Public Member and UC Merced Chancellor. “Programs that provide direct investment in the growth and support of tribally-led climate solutions are incredibly valuable and too scarce.”
The Pilot Program is rooted in consistent feedback from California Native American tribes that they require a dedicated capacity building program tailored to their unique status and needs. This Pilot Program will be administered by SGC’s Community Assistance for Climate Equity Program, which manages a suite of capacity building and technical assistance programs that serve underinvested communities at the frontlines of the climate crisis.
The Tribal Capacity Building Pilot Program is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment–particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Tribal Capacity Building Pilot Program furthers the purposes of AB 32 (Chapter 488, Statutes of 2006) and SB 32 (Chapter 249, Statutes of 2016) by investing in tribal projects related to climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience that reduce GHG emissions. In working directly with tribes, the Tribal Capacity Building Pilot Program also advances the state’s commitment to build relationships with tribes in California as mandated in Executive Orders B-10-11 (Brown, 2011) and N-15-19 (Newsom, 2019).
For more information about the Pilot Program awardees, view their Project Profiles.
For more information about the Tribal Capacity Building Pilot program, visit the Tribal Capacity Building Pilot Program webpage or sign up for our E-list.
Media Contact
Leticia Palamidessi, Communications Officer, (916) 425-8286
leticia.palamidessi@sgc.ca.gov
About the California Strategic Growth Council
The California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) is a 10-member council comprised of seven state agencies and three public members with the mission to build healthy, thriving, and resilient communities for all. Funded through California’s Cap and Trade system and the California General Fund, SGC’s grant programs, strategic initiatives, and interagency coordination focus on multi-benefit and community-centric solutions at the nexus of climate and equity. Since 2008, SGC has invested over $4 billion in projects strengthening communities and addressing climate change.