California Forest Improvement Program

Due to significant fire activity and the significant number of CAL FIRE staff committed to priority fire assignments, we anticipate there will be some delays in response from the CFIP Program.  Staff will continue to prioritize invoice processing to help ensure timely reimbursement, however we will continue to have delays in responding to emails and phone calls.

In the meantime, please review the User’s Guide available on this website, contact a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) to assist in the preparation of a CFIP Application Package, and when complete, please email the application package to the CFIP Forest Advisor for your county (contact information available on this website).  The CFIP Forest Advisor will contact you as soon as they are able.  Our program has also been impacted by this current situation, however we are aware of landowners emerging needs and are committed to doing everything we can to assist. Please be patient with our staff at this time if they are unable to respond to your phone calls or emails regarding assistance.   We will consider extending our application deadline as the conditions continue to develop. Thanks for your interest in our program and we hope to be back to normal very soon.

The purpose of the California Forest Improvement Program (CFIP) is to encourage private and public investment in, and improved management of, California forest lands and resources. This focus is to ensure adequate high quality timber supplies, related employment and other economic benefits, and the protection, maintenance, and enhancement of a productive and stable forest resource system for the benefit of present and future generations.

The program scope includes the improvement of all forest resources including fish and wildlife habitat, and soil and water quality. Cost-share assistance is provided to private and public ownerships containing 20 to 5,000 acres of forest land. Cost-shared activities include:

• Preparation of a Forest Management Plan by a Registered Professional Forester (RPF)
• RPF Supervision of the following:
• Reforestation
  • Site Preparation
  • Trees and Planting
  • Tree Shelters
• Stand Improvement
  • Pre-commercial Thinning or Release
  • Pruning
  • Follow-up (includes mechanical, herbicide and/or slash disposal follow-up)
• Forestland conservation practices / fish and wildlife habitat improvement

Funding:
The source of funds for CFIP projects historically has come from California's Forest Resource Improvement Fund (FRIF). However, the CFIP program now receives funding from a variety of other State and Federal sources. The varied funding sources may have different requirements or additional application procedures, so please always be sure to discuss your project with your Forestry Assistance Specialist (FAS) at the CAL FIRE unit in which your project resides, the Regional FAS, or call the CFIP program manager in Sacramento. A list of contacts is provided in the "More Info" section to the right.

As of June, 2021, CAL FIRE has received $10 Million to apply to forest improvement projects on private, nonindustrial lands. Our Grants Management Office is completing the final steps to make that funding available. The program is now accepting applications from landowners for the full suite of practices available within the CFIP program. We expect to also receive a significant amount of funding in the next fiscal year budget (2021/2022), however that amount is not confirmed at this time. We will continue to update our funding status here, so please continue to check back to this website in the months ahead as we finalize our funding availability.

At this time, we will be taking CFIP applications through July 31, 2021, and plan to make project selections after that date. Please review the User’s Guide available on this website. Work with your CFIP Forest Advisor to prepare an application and discuss the specific project options and requirements for your property.