California was an early home to the modern environmental justice movement, with community-based organizations and Native American Tribes at the forefront of the intersectional fight for economic justice, farmworker rights, housing access and civil rights. Today, we further their legacy and uplift their ongoing work through our inaugural California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) Environmental Justice Action Grants Program, which supports the implementation of creative solutions led by and based in communities experiencing the multiple stresses of environmental pollution and its effects. 

We are excited to announce the first round of Environmental Justice Action Grants, which award more than $6 million to 27 projects led by local organizations and Tribes with deep ties to their communities and an intersectional approach to addressing their communities’ toughest challenges. Awardees include eight federally recognized Tribes and span more than 12 counties with a focus on communities where pollution and environmental hazards are highest.

The Environmental Justice Action Grants support the incredible work awardees already do to protect public health, build resilience and emergency preparedness, increase community participation in environmental decision-making, and support enforcement of state and federal environmental laws.

Tribe or Organization	Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians	Comite Civico del Valle	Healthy Day Partners
Project Description	This project will protect and document Tribes’ cultural uses of water in Lake County.	This project will offer at-home asthma education and intervention to hard-to-reach residents in Imperial Valley, which is overburdened by pollution.	This project will equip around 1,200 food-insecure San Diegans with the tools they need to grow food at home.
Grant Amount	$285,000	$300,000	$97,627.50

You can view all grant recipients’ projects on the EJ Action Grants projects webpage.

As the nation’s largest environmental protection agency, CalEPA, along with our six boards, departments and offices, plays a critical role in making the right to clean air, water and land a reality for all Californians. To do this, we must center environmental justice and equity in our investments, programs and regulations. This includes leveraging the creativity and expertise of those working directly in communities to solve our toughest challenges.

Applications for the next round of Environmental Justice Action Grants will open in late 2024.

Stay tuned for future posts taking a closer look at individual projects and the communities they serve.