The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is offering grants for projects to enhance California's marine habitat. Coastal communities, non-profit groups and environmental agencies are encouraged to apply.

DFG's Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR), the California Coastal Conservancy and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation together review and select recipients for Environmental Enhancement Fund (EEF) grants.

The funds come from oil spill violation penalties in accordance with California's Lempert-Keene-Seastrand and Oil Spill Prevention and Response Act. Up to $300,000 is available per year for qualifying projects. Multi-year projects are acceptable as long as there is no more than the annual spending authority requested per year. Eligible organizations include non-profits, cities, counties, districts, and state and federal agencies.

To qualify, an environmental enhancement project must acquire habitat for preservation or improve habitat quality and ecosystem function. In addition, it must meet all of the following requirements:

Be located within or immediately adjacent to California marine waters.
Have measurable outcomes within a predetermined time frame.
Be designed to acquire, restore or improve habitat or restore ecosystem function, or both, to benefit fish and wildlife.

The Environmental Enhancement Committee, which consists of the OSPR Administrator, Executive Director of the California Coastal Conservancy and an officer from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, will determine the projects to be funded.

Disbursement of the grants is contingent on the availability of funds in the EEF.

Grant applications must be received by 5 p.m.on Aug. 28, 2012. To contact the grant coordinator, e-mail eefgrant@ospr.dfg.ca.gov. For more information, visit www.dfg.ca.gov/ospr/Science/eep.aspx.