Public Comment Now Open for the Healthy Soils and State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Programs
- Feb 4
- 1 min read
By CDFW | 2/4/2026
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability (OARS) is inviting public comment on the draft Application Guidelines and Draft Award Procedures for two key climate-smart agriculture initiatives: the Healthy Soils Program (HSP) and the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP).
In November 2024, California voters approved Proposition 4, a $10 billion Climate Bond designed to safeguard communities and natural resources from climate change.The Bond allocated:
$40 million for State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP)
$65 million for practices that improve soil health or accelerate carbon removal or sequestration
Both HSP and SWEEP have historically operated as direct-to-producer grant programs, but OARS successfully piloted a block grant format in 2023. In 2026, CDFA is continuing its block grant model, enabling qualified organizations to apply for state funding to administer incentive grants for on-farm climate smart agriculture practices to eligible farmers, ranchers, and agricultural operations. Block Grant recipients are also responsible for providing technical assistance, to help producers successfully implement their on-farm projects.
The public comment period is open from January 20 to February 18, 2026. OARS will respond to comments in writing. Additionally, OARS will present the draft guidelines and award procedures to the Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) on Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture on February 12th.
The public will have an opportunity to provide oral public comment during the SAP meeting.
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