The foundation has consolidated its Environment and Health and Management of Resources funding priorities into a restated Environment and Health program area. All 2005 and 2006 environmental grants are listed under the Environment and Health category.

In 2005 and 2006, the foundation supported initiatives to strengthen the public interest community’s ability to respond to significant human health threats in the environment. The Center for Race, Poverty and the Environment and the Environmental Integrity Project worked collaboratively to address the deteriorating air quality in the San Joaquin Valley. Grants to the Rose Foundation, Clean Water Fund, Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, Kentucky Environmental Foundation/Coming Clean Coalition, Environment California Research and Policy Center, As You Sow, Californians for Pesticide Reform, and the Health and Environment Funders Network supported new efforts to protect human health from dangerous chemicals by improving regulation and substituting safer alternatives.

The foundation continued to support efforts to make agriculture and food systems more sustainable through grants to Consumers Union, Prevention Institute, Wild Farm Alliance, California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo, the Center for Food Safety, Rural Advancement Foundation International – USA, Health Care Without Harm, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders, the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program.

In 2005, the foundation made the final payment of a three-year commitment to the Trust for Conservation Innovation for the Roots of Change Fund, a collaboration of California and national foundations aimed at making California’s agriculture and food system sustainable by 2030. The Roots of Change Fund is supporting new policy forums at the state and county levels, designed to bring agricultural, environmental, business and farm labor leaders together to address the future of California agriculture. In 2005, the Roots of Change Fund released The New Mainstream: A Sustainable Food Agenda for California, a new vision for moving California’s agriculture and food system toward sustainability. In 2005 and 2006, the Roots of Change Fund also consulted with foundation collaboratives in other parts of the country that are beginning to support the development of regional sustainable food and farming systems.

The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, Ecotrust and People for Open Space/Greenbelt Alliance received support for their work under the restated Environment and Health guideline.