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Want to know more about what the RCD is doing? Want to get to know our Board? You can find details on our Board Meetings here

With enormous gratitude to landowners along Atascadero Creek and its tributaries who have

granted us access to survey habitat

conditions for coho salmon, we’re excited to share what we’ve been working on and what we have planned for the future. This meeting included a series of presentations by staff from the Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District, O’Connor Environmental, Inc., California Sea Grant, Baseline Consulting, and the California Department of Fish & Wildlife on efforts underway to study and enhance habitat in the Atascadero watershed.

This project was funded by the California Department of Fish & Wildlife through the Watershed Restoration Grant Program

You can watch the recording here, and access the presentations here

One of the Gold Ridge RCD’s focal points as an organization, surrounds the idea of habitat conservation and restoration. We want wildlife habitat to serve not only as protection and shelter, but also as a functional component of the entire local ecosystem. By restoring habitats through different projects, we are able to return the habitat to a condition that functioned properly for the species in the past. This month, we will be highlighting the Black Bear.

The Black Bear is the only bear native to California right now. The California Grizzly Bear went extinct about 100 years ago despite them being on our state flag. The Black Bear sometimes can be brown, hence the common confusion amongst California residents. They are fairly widespread throughout California occurring from sea level to high mountain regions in fairly dense, mature forest habitats, including those in Sonoma County. Our team has reported sightings in our district in both the Dutch Bill and Green Valley Watersheds near Occidental and Graton. This brings up another issue which is encounters between black bears and people. There are many reports of black bears coming into neighborhoods and digging through garbage and killing people’s livestock such as chickens. Also, the more times bears and humans collide the more instances where it can turn out deadly for the bear and the human. In order to limit your contact with black bears at home, consider bringing garbage and food inside, and keeping your chickens inside of an electric fence. Protect yourself and these amazing creatures.

The forest is filled with so many different species that reflect the conditions of their habitats. That is why we at the RCD focus a lot of our projects around wildlife habitat restoration and conservation. Throughout the next few months, we will be highlighting some local wildlife that you all share the forest with! 

To learn more about wildlife, click here.

You can find more interesting information in this article here.

As of December 9, 2021, CDFA has awarded $12.9 million (17%) of the available funds.

CDFA is now accepting applications for its Healthy Soils Program (HSP), with $75 million in funding available statewide for on-farm soils health practices that sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gases, and improve soil health. You could receive up to $100,000 in grant awards to support your agricultural operation in making changes that benefit soil health. Gold Ridge RCD is here to help you apply to CDFA's Healthy Soils Program.

Contact William Hart for one-on-one assistance on your application.

Phone: (707) 823-5244 ext. 15

Email: william@goldridgercd.org

Each year the Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner releases a report on agricultural production in the county.

This year’s crop report highlights the essential farm workers of our agricultural industry. 

The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) is now accepting concept proposals for the 2022 grant cycle.  

Applicants are invited to submit two-page concept proposals to FREP by Friday, January 28, 2022. Concepts submitted should be aligned with at least one of the identified priority research areas. 

FR

Further information on the 2022 FREP RFP, including timelines, application criteria, and priority research areas are available on the Grant Program web page here.

For more information, please send email inquiries to FREP@cdfa.ca.gov. 

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service released some new soil health fact sheets, available in many different languages! They include fact sheets on the basics and benefits, principles for high functioning soils, unlocking your farm's potential, checklist for growers!

Find more of the fact sheets + the other languages here!

Project Learning Tree provides a great amount of educational resources that are easy to access and provide educators with the tools necessary to engage their students when teaching about nature. Click here to find their free forest activities!

The Monarch Joint Venture offers virtual and in-person classes and community science training opportunities for emerging monarch enthusiasts, experienced conservationists, and everyone in between!

Applications are now being accepted for positions beginning Summer 2022.

The Scientists in Parks program is currently seeking motivated applicants to complete numerous exciting projects in America's national parks. Find more information here.

They are hiring a People Operations Coordinator who will be responsible for day-to-day human resource duties for the operations department. The coordinator will be essential in improving the employee and volunteer experience and assisting in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice initiatives.

Click here to learn more!

Statewide, 40 RCDs constituting of 7 Regional Carbon Farming Hubs have completed 137 Carbon farm plants across 71,000 acres through the dedicated work of local RCD planners. Investing in technical assistance at the local level means investing in lasting impact.

Check out their website here!

Come join a growing team of conservation professionals at the Xerces Society who are dedicated to protecting some of the world’s most important animals. The Wisconsin Pollinator Conservation Specialist will provide pollinator-related technical support and outreach to farmers, land managers, conservation agency staff (such as NRCS and conservation districts), and other partners across Wisconsin.

Learn

The District's programs continually evolve to address California's

most pressing natural resource needs like climate adaptation, food security, clean water, thriving habitats, and ecosystem resiliency.

Support

With a tax deducible donation you can support conservation projects that protect water resources, improve soil health, and restore habitat for endangered species.

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