Whitebark Institute is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 Community Directed Grant Program (CDG), made possible through the continued support of Edison International. This year, Whitebark Institute is awarding $75,000 in grant funding to 18 organizations to support a diverse range of community-driven initiatives. While each project addresses distinct local needs, every selected initiative shares a unified objective: enhancing wildfire and community resilience throughout the Eastern Sierra.
The Community Directed Grant Program, in its third year, empowers local organizations, agencies, and community groups by providing financial backing for projects that reduce wildfire risk, advance ecological health, and foster collaboration. Eligible initiatives focus on wildfire prevention, mitigation, response, and recovery within high-fire-risk areas of Southern California Edison’s service territory within Inyo and Mono Counties.
“We were so excited to see more applicants for this program than ever before. The community really cares about this type of work, and Whitebark is thrilled to support these high-impact projects,” said Claire Galaway, Sr. Community Engagement Manager at Whitebark Institute. “One of our pillars as an organization is to support the communities where we work, live, and play, and the CDG program is a great opportunity to do that. We have been impressed by the creativity and diversity of the projects that are awarded this year”
To highlight the scope of this year’s funding, the 2026 grant recipients and their projects have been organized by themes.
Fuels Reduction & Volatile Vegetation Removal
These initiatives focus on the removal of high-priority ladder fuels like mature juniper, Arizona cypress, and bitterbrush. Many of the fuels reduction project work to establish fuel breaks to residential boundaries and emergency transit corridors.
- Sierra Paradise
- B-Meadow Creek 1 HOA Firewise
- Aspen Spring Firewise
- Starlite Firewise
- Big Pine Civic Club
Community Defensible Space & Green Waste Infrastructure
To counter local challenges resulting from nearby landfill closures, and lack of capacity, these projects establish neighborhood-level waste infrastructure to ensure continuous, accessible fuel reduction for residents. Many of these projects aim to support groups with limited physical, financial, or social capacity to perform fuel reduction on their own. Collectively, these projects are expected to serve over 600 residences in neighborhoods from Pine Glade to Holiday Knolls, and feature Firewise educational collateral for locals.
- Mammoth Slopes Firewise
- Holiday Knolls Firewise
- Pine Glade Association
- Crowley Lake- Juniper Plus Firewise
Evacuation Readiness, Signage & Emergency Navigation
Securing reliable egress and visibility during a wildfire incident is critical to community resilience. These projects improve physical evacuation routes, install high-visibility emergency markers, and deliver local emergency preparedness education.
- Mono City Firewise and Mono Basin FSC
- The Bishop Paiute Tribe
- Sunny Slopes Firewise
Emergency Response Infrastructure, Equipment & Training
These grants upgrade the operational capabilities of local fire protection districts. Funded projects include infrastructure modernization, specialized wildland firefighting tools, and advanced inter-agency tactical training.
- Paradise FPD
- Bridgeport FD
- Mono City FPD
- June Lake FPD
- Long Valley FPD
- Aspendell South Fork FD
Acknowledgments and Collaborations
The success of a regional grant program relies on the dedication of local partners and sustained funding. The Community Directed Grant Program is currently in its final year of funding through Edison International, and Whitebark Institute is actively seeking new funding sources to continue this work in the future. Please consider making a donation to help support the program’s continued impact. Many grant awardees are also hosting events that are open to the public. To learn more or get involved, explore our Community Directed Grant Program map and find a project near you!
Through these combined, proactive investments, Whitebark Institute and its partners remain dedicated to building a more resilient future for communities across the Eastern Sierra.