Following the devastating fires that spread throughout LA this winter, the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District (RPOSD) has announced the launch of the RESTORE Program (Recovery and Emergency Support for Trails, Open Space, and Recreation).

The $4.25m initiative aims to support the rebuilding of public parks, trails, and open spaces in the communities most drastically affected by the recent fires across Los Angeles County.

According RPOSD, RESTORE will provide targeted, non-competitive grants to cities, agencies, and nonprofit landowners to an effort to help them restore damaged recreation infrastructure, repair trails, reforest open spaces, and implement best practices in wildfire resilience.

“The January wildfires were devastating. Our communities lost homes, businesses, places of worship, schools—and alongside those, we lost parks, trees, trails, and cherished open spaces,” said Norma E. García-González, director of the LA County Department of Parks and Recreation and Director of RPOSD. “RESTORE is about helping to rebuild these vital public spaces as the broader recovery of homes and communities moves forward. Parks and trails are part of the healing process—and they must be part of the community’s recovery.”

Jurisdictions most impacted by the fires will receive the most funding, including the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, and the Cities of Malibu, Pasadena, and Sierra Madre.

“In the Fifth District, the damage from the January wildfires wasn’t just environmental—it was deeply personal,” said Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors chair Kathryn Barger. “Our parks, trails, and open spaces are where communities gather, connect, and heal. RESTORE grants are a powerful step toward renewal. I welcome these timely investments that will help our communities and nonprofit partners pivot from crisis response to long-term recovery. By working together and leveraging funding, we can deliver resilient, accessible public spaces for the future.”

To learn more about this initiative, check out the program guidelines here. 

Photo by Jessica Christian on Unsplash