Ten organizations are going to be receiving significant funding support to help bolster pollinator habitat. A total of $12.25 million in funding is being awarded through a new grant program from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). The Pollinator Habitat Program (PHP) was established through the Budget Act of 2021, with $15 million being provided to CDFA for the implementation of the program.
“CDFA is pleased to make this investment in pollinator habitat on California farms and ranches. Pollinators are not only vital to our ecosystems, they are essential to over a third of our crops, helping to produce a wide variety of California-grown fruits, nuts, and vegetables,” CDFA Secretary Karen Ross said in a press release. “The Pollinator Habitat Program demonstrates how working lands can help safeguard California’s diverse ecosystems.”
Applications were accepted between September and November of 2022. The Almond Alliance of California has been awarded $2 million to work with Great Valley Seeds. Through the partnership, plant materials and implementation tools will be made available to farmers to bolster pollinator habitat in almond orchards. Another $2 million has been awarded to the American Olive Oil Producers Association to help advance pollinator-friendly practices within olive production. Pollinator Partnership and the Cachuma Resource Conservation District have also each been awarded nearly $2 million through the PHP.
The Planet Bee Foundation is receiving more than $1.2 million to provide workshops, forage materials, and habitat assessments. Another $1.2 million will be used by The Xerces Society in establishing 15 miles of pollinator hedgerows and 400 acres of pollinator-focused cover crops. The award of $1 million to the Wopumnes Nisenan and Mewuk Heritage Society will be used to support the development of new pollinator habitats, similar to the group’s ongoing Sierra Monarch Rescue program.
Other awards include nearly $340,000 to the Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego and nearly $300,000 to the Colusa County Resource Conservation District. The Alameda County Resource Conservation District also received nearly $178,000 to help support pollinator habitat through the PHP.
About the Author
