LEAF Partnership

Valley Vision is offering a free, three-part virtual series for local governments, nonprofits, and community organizations across the Sierra and Sacramento Valley who work with woody biomass and are ready to build the business model and financing strategy to get their projects funded.

Missed Parts 1 and 2? Click here for recordings: https://www.youtube.com/@valleyvision6647

Part 3 takes place on July 31 at 12:00pm! To register for part 3 click here.

Part #3: Now that we've covered operations and productization, let's unlock the capital to build it. Join us for the final webinar in our series, where we are bringing in financial professionals to discuss real-world financing, grants, and funding opportunities. The capstone session maps the full landscape of financing tools, grants, low-interest loans, public/private and public/public partnership structures, and puts them in context for your specific project type. You'll learn how to sequence funding sources, structure your ask, and present your…

LEAF partners working in forest health, wildfire resilience, prescribed fire, biomass utilization, watershed restoration, tribal stewardship, and landscape-scale collaboration may want to take a close look at California's new 2026 Wildfire Resilience Block Grant opportunity.

Funded through Proposition 4, this program is designed to strengthen regional capacity by supporting collaborative, landscape-scale projects that reduce wildfire risk, improve forest and landscape resilience, and invest in long-term implementation efforts. The program emphasizes partnerships, regional coordination, and projects that deliver multiple community and environmental benefits.

This funding may be particularly relevant for:

• Forest collaboratives and stewardship organizations

• Tribes and tribal organizations

• Resource Conservation Districts

There is an exciting opportunity for high school students and recent graduates in Mono and Inyo Counties: The Outdoor Career Mini-Academy, a free 4-day program focused on careers in wildland fire, forestry, and outdoor recreation.

The academy runs August 10–13, 2026 from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Wind Drift Studios in Mammoth Lakes. Each day is dedicated to one sector, with the final day covering Leave No Trace principles and outdoor safety. Participants will learn alongside local professionals through hands-on activities both on-site and at nearby outdoor locations.

Additional details worth noting:

• The program is completely free to participants thanks to support from Wind Drift Studios, Sierra Jobs First, Mammoth Lakes Trails and Public Access Foundation,  and Arc’teryx.

• Potential transportation assistance for participants traveling from Inyo County or northern Mono County, dependent upon need.

Joint Institute for Wood Products Innovation FY 2026-27 $375K available for wood/biomass R&D, market development, and workforce development projects. Broad eligibility — colleges, tribes, nonprofits, businesses, local agencies all qualify. Deadline: August 3, 2026 at 5:00 PM. Submit everything in one email to katie.harrell@bof.ca.gov.

U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities Closed Wood Products Facilities for Bioenergy Up to $500K nationally for FEL-2 pre-development assessments on closed mills and pulp/paper facilities being repurposed for biopower or biofuel. Site control required. If your organization owns or controls an idled facility, this one is for you. Deadline: August 6, 2026 at 5:00 PM EDT.

👀 Go see what's new: https://www.sierraindustry.org/funding-framework

Know someone with an idled facility? Tag them or connect here! This is exactly the kind of opportunity where a regional introduction makes a difference.