Each year, hundreds of Californians work to improve the health and wellbeing of their communities by spearheading California Climate Investments projects, which are designed to support a more sustainable, more resilient future. Learn what these projects have accomplished in the Central Sierra counties of Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono, Tuolumne.

Cumulative Investments in the Central Sierra

As of October 31, 2025

$421 million total implemented funds

3% of statewide California Climate Investments funding

1,714 projects

$282 million benefiting priority populations

67% of funds benefiting priority populations

4,453,387 MTCO2e estimated GHG emissions reductions

2,656 tons estimated criteria air pollutant reductions

2025 Achievements

Reporting period: Dec 1, 2024 – Oct 31, 2025

$132 million in newly implemented funds

208 new projects

A person poses in front a public bus in Yosemite.

Explore the Data

What does this mean for you?

Here is some of what our 2025 grantees are bringing to the region:

Over 2,517 acres of land conservation or restoration
$767 million in reduced travel costs
Over 1,400 new trees planted

Central Sierra Climate Investments in Action

Forest Health Project Helps Save Yosemite Sequoias from the Washburn Fire

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Supported by a $2 million grant funded by CAL FIRE’s Forest Health Program, Mariposa County Resource Conservation District, the National Park Service and local tribal forest crews completed important forest resilience treatments
Protected the ancient, majestic giant sequoias of the Mariposa Grove during the Washburn Fire
Treatments included removal of roadside hazard and downed trees, fuels reduction, and transportation of the woody debris to local biomass facilities.

Fuel Break Helps Slow the Spread of the Canyon Fire

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In 2019, the Tuolumne Fire Safe Council received a $415,000 Wildfire Prevention Grant to construct a shaded fuel break in Tuolumne County
When the Canyon Fire blazed through the area in August of 2024, the shaded fuel break slowed down the fire’s spread and helped firefighters extinguish the blaze, saving area homes and lives
The fuel break demonstrated the real-world impact of fuel breaks in protecting vulnerable communities in high fire-risk areas

Discover more projects in your region

Read Central Sierra project profiles

Featured

Canyon Fire: All Hands on Deck

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

In August of 2024, the Canyon Fire ignited in the Tuolumne River Canyon, quickly becoming a threat to nearby subdivisions. Fortunately, the Tuolumne Fire Safe Council had received California Climate Investments funding through the Wildfire Prevention Grants program and completed the Ponderosa-Mira Monte Shaded Fuel Break just two years prior. The fuel break gave wildland firefighters leverage in slowing and ultimately extinguishing the blaze, saving area homes and lives.

Forest Health Project Helps Save Yosemite Sequoias from the Washburn Fire

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

Forest resilience treatments funded through a $2 million grant from CAL FIRE’s Forest Health Program helped to save some of the world’s most iconic trees in one of the world’s most famous national parks. Protecting the ancient, majestic giant sequoias in the largest and most popular of Yosemite’s sequoia groves was an immediate concern for land managers when the Washburn Fire broke out near Mariposa Grove on July 7, 2022. Fortunately, a partnership that includes the Mariposa County Resource Conservation District, the National Park Service and local tribal forest crews had completed the important fuels reduction work that reduced the fire’s severity and helped firefighters protect the invaluable trees.

Big Pine Paiute Tribe of the Owens Valley Community Transportation Needs Assessment

Using funds awarded by the Clean Mobility Options program, the Big Pine Paiute Tribe of the Owens Valley, a federally recognized California Native American Tribe, conducted a community-driven transportation needs assessment to determine the transportation needs and preferences of Big Pine Paiute’s residents. After the needs assessment is completed and approved by their Tribal Council, the Big Pine Paiute Tribe can use it to apply for additional funding from Clean Mobility Options or other transportation grant programs to implement clean mobility projects.

Turtle Rock Biomass Collection Site Helps Reduce Wildfire Severity

Alpine County was awarded $120,810 from the Fire Prevention Grants program to support the operation of The Turtle Rock Park Biomass Collection site. The facility provides communities in eastern Alpine County with a place to send green waste and biomass removed while creating defensible space around their properties to reduce the risk of future wildfire damage. By reducing the intensity of future wildfires, defensible space practices also reduce the emission of air pollutants and greenhouse gases.

Expanding Capacity at the Turtle Rock Park Biomass Collection Site

The project is a continuation of the Turtle Rock Park Biomass Collection site which serves communities in eastern Alpine County. The facility provides a location to collect green waste and biomass that is cleared from private property to create defensible space and thereby reduce wildland fire risk.

Woodsmoke Reduction Program Provides Efficient and Cost-Effective Heating

Jolene was approved for a voucher covering the entire cost of a new wood stove and its installation.

Free and Reduced Price Fares Increase Low-income Transit Ridership to Yosemite

In Merced County, the Reduced and Free YARTS to Yosemite program allowed adults to ride to Yosemite National Park for $5, and children, ages 0–12 rode free. In Mariposa County, residents were provided free passes to ride the bus to and from the Park.

Interested in bringing more projects to the Central Sierra?

Apply! Your first stop to learn more is to explore programs.

A group of people working together on a project map at a table.

A collage of photos showing an electric truck, a schoolyard, firefighters at a controlled burn, food distribution, alternative manure management, and a community group collaborating on a poster.

Who is eligible?

A number of implemented California Climate Investments projects span multiple geographic boundaries (e.g., a transit bus line or large forestry project crossing county lines). While most projects can be tied to one project address, where it is not feasible to associate a project with a single region, district, or county, the same project data is included in each area that benefits from the investment. This method of attribution tends to increase the implemented project totals reported here. See the Project List for a more detailed explanation of the methodology the California Air Resources Board uses to evaluate projects that cross geographic boundaries.

About Us

California Climate Investments uses billions of Cap-and-Invest dollars to fund projects that reduce harmful emissions, protect public health, strengthen local economies, and support natural environments. With a strong focus on communities most impacted by pollution and limited access to resources, California Climate Investments help build a more equitable and sustainable future - particularly in disadvantaged and low-income communities.

Contact Us

1-800-757-2907 | info@caclimateinvestments.ca.gov | @CAClimateInvest