What Prop 4 means for Southern California
Last November, nearly 60% of voters in California voted “yes” to pass ballot Proposition 4: the Parks, Environment, Energy, and Water Bond Measure. The legislatively referred bond act, commonly known as Prop 4, allows the state of California to borrow $10 billion to fund various natural resource and climate activities.
Prop 4 authorizes bonds for:
Drought, flood, and water supply
Increase the amount and quality of water available for people to use and reduce the risk of flooding.
Forest health and wildfire prevention
Improve the health of forests and protect communities from wildfires.
Sea-level rise and coastal areas
Reduce the risks from sea-level rise, restore coastal areas, and protect fish.
Land conservation and habitat restoration
Protect and restore natural areas.
Energy infrastructure
Support the state’s shift to more renewable sources of energy, such as offshore wind.
Parks
Expand, renovate, and repair local and state parks.
Extreme heat
Reduce the effects of extreme heat on communities.
Farms and agriculture
Help farms respond to the effects of climate change and become more sustainable.
Prop 4 funding comes at a critical time
Due to pullbacks in federal funding, many state and local agencies in Southern California face an overall reduction in funds—despite the new dollars anticipated from Prop 4.
This pullback in federal funds isn’t uncharted territory. Southern California has long faced “boom and bust” cycles of federal funding. While the scale of this current “boom and bust” cycle is greater than the past, the pattern is familiar.
Given this landscape, regional agencies need to position themselves quickly to take advantage of newly available funds from Prop 4.
And the need for funding to advance environmental priorities in the region has never been greater. Southern California is particularly vulnerable to climate impacts, extreme heat, and wildfires. This has created an environment of uncertainty about the path forward among local leaders. There’s a shrinking pool of available funds, and, at the same time, a growing need.
Regional collaboration as a path forward
Given these circumstances, there’s an increased need to work together regionally on environmental and climate priorities and maximize funding for Southern California across jurisdictions. Local and regional leaders need to organize and work in partnership to evaluate all potential funding available and align on the optimal application strategy so that Southern California can navigate this unprecedented landscape as efficiently as possible.
Peer-to-peer networking opportunities at in-person convenings, events, and digital roundtables serve as critical touchpoints to foster this partnership.
For example, ICF hosted regional leaders from across Southern California in 2024 for an in-person convening. At this event, leaders from a small Council of Governments (COG) in the region met leaders from a much larger agency. These two entities developed a relationship at the event and ended up teaming on a grant application
The COG offered deep community ties and a hyper-local understanding of their community’s specific climate and energy needs. The large agency offered the requisite grant writing resources and capacity. The two partnered and ended up winning grant money that likely neither would have been able to win had they acted alone. The large agency needed the community expertise of the COG, and the COG needed the resources of the large agency.
This year, we’ve launched a new funding resources hub for Southern California to continue fostering partnerships like this. We’re hosting local leaders for in-person and digital events to discuss the current funding landscape and develop joint strategies to advance climate and environmental goals for the region. State and local leaders in Southern California can sign up below to be invited to future peer-to-peer convenings and take advantage of these opportunities for collaboration.
How technology can help agencies win and implement funds
Agencies should also look to technology solutions to navigate the current landscape. Grant tracking tools that leverage AI can be valuable to manage the influx of new opportunities anticipated from Prop 4, and help local leaders identify, understand, and prioritize which opportunities to pursue and who is best positioned to pursue them.
Similarly, technology solutions can help maximize the impact of dollars received. Given the shrinking pool of funds, it’s critical that agencies maximize dollars in hand to drive the greatest community impact. Tools that can assist with climate modeling and energy planning can help agencies submit winning grant applications, as well as know how to best deploy funds so that they impact the communities and areas most in need. Likewise, tools that help design programs and track their success can allow agencies to adjust in real time to ensure optimal program delivery and positive outcomes.
What regional leaders can do to seize the moment
This is a crucial moment for Southern California. State and local agencies are in a strong position to help mitigate the state's climate and environmental challenges. The time is now to pivot into position for the grant opportunities that remain.
While state and local agencies face real challenges, this is a chance for Southern California to come together—aligning on shared climate goals, crafting stronger grant strategies, and supporting one another across jurisdictions to maximize the impact of available funding.