The Watershed Coordinator Grant Program is a competitive grant program originally created as The Watershed Coordinator Grant Program for Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) established in the Budget Act of 2000 to fund watershed coordinators throughout the state. In 2004, the grant program was expanded through CALFED funding from the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Act of 2002 (Proposition 50). The 2004-2007 grant program was open to special districts, nonprofit groups, and local governments. The program is administered by the Department of Conservation and awards funds to local public agencies and non-profit organizations to provide watershed coordination assistance to locally developed, community based watershed efforts. Revised grant guidelines have been developed to guide the expenditure of Prop 84 funds, using a public process in accordance with the bond statute and implementing legislation. Guidelines were vetted and adopted by the State Watershed Advisory Committee, appointed by the Secretary of Resources in October 2007. The Department of Conservation will solicit proposals for funding consideration in the near future. All proposals considered for funding are first screened for eligibility by the Department of Conservation and then evaluated, rated and ranked by a panel of external agency experts using the evaluation criteria contained in the grant guidelines. Grants are then awarded by the Department of Conservation. Proposition 84 funds have been appropriated for this program in the 2008/09 Budget Act.