Supporting California’s Forest Health Goals Technology Investments

California is launching a new statewide biomass utilization grant program to reduce wildfire risk, promote sustainable forest management, advance regenerative agricultural practices, and strengthen rural and tribal economies. The FUSE Executive Fellow will work with the California Department of Conservation to design and implement the $50 million initiative by developing inclusive grantmaking strategies, technical assistance models, and long-term evaluation tools that support multiple beneficial uses of forest biomass, including mass timber for low-carbon construction and applications that advance regenerative agriculture.

Ultimately, this work will help California build a more climate-resilient future and expand economic opportunity for communities most impacted by wildfire.

Salary: Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual salary of $95,000. Fellows can also access various health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. This amount is not representative of market-rate salaries for the experienced professionals in our program but is intended as compensation for a year of public service.

FUSE is a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing the capacity of local governments to work more effectively for communities. We embed private sector executives in city and county agencies to lead projects that improve public services and accelerate systems change. Since 2012, FUSE has led over 400 projects in 58 governments across 26 states, impacting a total population equivalent to 1 in 10 Americans.

FUSE conducts a full executive search for each individual project to ensure that the selected candidate has at least 15 years of professional experience, the required competencies for the role, and deep connections to the community being served.

Executive Fellows are embedded in government agencies working with senior leaders for at least one year of full-time work. Prospective responsibilities may include thorough data analytics and research, developing enhanced operations and financial models, building change management and strategic planning processes, and/or building broad coalitions to support project implementation efforts. Executive Fellows are data-driven and results-oriented and able to effectively manage complex projects.

They build strong relationships with a broad array of stakeholders, foster alignment within and across various layers of government, and build partnerships between governments and communities.

California’s wildfire crisis continues to intensify due to prolonged drought, rising temperatures, and accumulated forest fuels, placing communities, ecosystems, and infrastructure at growing risk. Rural regions and forest-dependent communities—many of which have limited economic resources and face persistent barriers to investment—are particularly vulnerable to wildfire-related displacement, economic disruption, and health impacts from smoke and air pollution.

The California Department of Conservation (DOC), along with state and federal partners, has taken important steps to address this gap. DOC previously launched the Forest Biomass to Carbon-Negative Biofuels Pilot Program to support the development of low-emission technologies that convert forest biomass into clean fuels. Building on this work, Proposition 4 (Public Resources Code Section 91530) allocates $50 million to create a new grant program that funds long-term capital infrastructure for non-combustion biomass utilization.

This effort aligns with the state’s broader Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan and supports the goals of the Wood Utilization Work Group, a statewide coalition working to grow…