View as Webpage

• Technical support for underserved producers
• Meet our new Director of Finance and Administration & Board Associate Director
• Celebrating International Women's Day
• Compost application pilot program application closes March 31st
• UCCE Flood Assistance Webinar tomorrow
• Upcoming workshops, webinars and conferences!

Technical Support for Underserved Producers

Sonoma RCD sees a future where the natural resources of Sonoma County are abundant and available for the benefit of all people, agriculture, ecosystems and economy. RCDs across the state have partnered with the California Association of RCDs (CARCD) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to support equity in conservation. The Equity in Conservation Cooperative Agreement we received from NRCS in late 2022 funds projects that expand the delivery of conservation assistance to producers who are new to farming, are low-income, identify as one or more marginalized race or ethnicity, and/or are military veterans.

In 2022, NRCS administered $50 million of investments in partnerships through Equity Conservation Agreements to improve equity in access to conservation programs and support efforts to address climate change. NRCS selected 118 groups to provide funding through Equity Conservation Agreements, including 84 new partnerships and the expansion of 34 other partnerships with entities serving historically underserved groups. This partnership directly allocates technical service funds to historically underserved producers in our district. We recognize the important work ahead of the RCD in building and strengthening relationships and partnerships to best serve our entire community. We are grateful to those we have already collaborated with and look forward to connecting with others. Our team of soil and water experts, engineers, and erosion control specialists are ready to support wherever possible to meet conservation goals of our local producers. Contact Karen Lopez, GrizzlyCorps Fellow klopez@sonomarcd.org or Christine Kuehn, Education and Communications Manager ckuehn@sonomarcd.org with inquiries or to coordinate a site visit with our team.

Out in the Community

Our team has been busy with some fun filled youth events this month! For the first time, the RCD participated in North Bay Science Discovery Day on March 11th. We created individualized forest ecosystems while exploring carrying capacity and implementing various disturbance regimes. Students also learned how to read tree rings and all about the field implements used by a Registered Professional Forester. We'll definitely be back next year!

Last week, our education team hosted a soil exploration station at the Sonoma County Farm Bureau's annual Ag Days two-day event. This was our the first in-person Ag Days since COVID. We were elated to see all the excited faces!

GrizzlyCorps Gratitude Week

GrizzlyCorps is a AmeriCorps fellowship launched in 2020 designed by Project Climate at UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment in partnership with CaliforniaVolunteers. Their program sends recent college graduates into rural communities across California to promote regenerative agri-food systems and fire and forest resilience. This year we are fortunate to have Karen Lopez on our team, a recent graduate of Fresno State University where she got her bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Education with an emphasis on Communications and leadership development.

Thank you, Karen, for being part of our Sonoma RCD team! Your bright energy, creativity, passion for collaborating with partners to better serve our diverse community, and dedication to driving positive change on our working and natural lands are inspiring. We are grateful for the empathy and kindness you share with our team and everyone around you. We are excited to watch your career pathway development and all the important work you will lead!

March 8, 2023 was International Women's Day! With over seven decades of conservation and community impact, the Sonoma RCD wants to elevate our dynamic team of women leaders and technical experts in engineering, forestry, soil science, watershed health and species protection, communications, and finance & administration that we get to work alongside on a daily basis. We are proud of the significant contributions these women have made to ensure our natural resources are available for all community members and for generations to come as we face a changing climate. Cheers to all women in conservation, we could not do this work alone.

Sonoma County Carbon Sequestration Through Compost Application Pilot Project

The Gold Ridge and Sonoma Resource Conservation Districts are happy to announce that new funding has become available to assist with the cost of compost application on agricultural lands in Sonoma County! This Carbon Sequestration Pilot Project aims to increase carbon sequestration through the application of compost on multiple properties in both agricultural and community settings throughout Sonoma County. We are accepting applications now and the deadline for applications is March 31st, 2023.

Funding granted supports compost projects for up to 85% or $25,000 towards compost and freight costs. Awarded applicants will be active agriculturists farming and ranching in Sonoma County. This includes operations for grazing, viticulture, orchards, and croplands, where income is generated from sales of farm or ranch products, and it is appropriate and beneficial to apply compost.

Interested in forest conservation on your land?

The Sonoma and Gold Ridge RCDs (collectively the Sonoma County RCDs) provide forest health programs to our nonindustrial forest landowners across Sonoma County. We are encouraging forest landowners to reach out for technical assistance, educational materials, funding opportunities, and any related questions.

If you are a forest landowner interested in forest conservation on your property, please fill out our intake form. This form also provides information on the various ways the RCD can assist in forest conservation.

Flood Assistance Webinar

This is a message from UCCE Sonoma

Hello Sonoma-Marin Farmers and Ranchers,



University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Sonoma and our local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office will be hosting a short webinar on FSA's programs that offer additional flood, severe winter storms, landslides and mud slides funding assistance. Please join us on Thursday, March 23rd from 10:30 - 11:30am via zoom. There will be a short presentation with time for questions and answers.

Programs that will be covered in the webinar include:

Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm Raised Fish Program (ELAP)

• Provides benefits for livestock feed and grazing losses due to flooding
• Covers loss of grazing land and feed losses
• Honey Bees - covers colony, hive or feed loss

Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP)

• Provide benefits for eligible livestock death or injury

Emergency Conservation Program (ECP)

• Debris removal, land leveling, fence repair/replacement, irrigation systems
• Cost share program - 75% of Agency established rates, 25% advance payment

Tree Assistance Program (TAP)

• Replant or rehabilitate vines or trees destroyed or damaged by floods
• Cost share program

Emergency Loans

• Low interest loans available, must be at least a 30% loss and must be unable to obtain a commercial loan

Register for the March 23rd Flood Assistance Webinar

If you have any questions please contact:

Kerry McGrath, UCCE Sonoma Agricultural Ombuds,

kamcgrath@ucanr.edu 

CDFA Agricultural Flood Recovery Resources

This is a message from California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)

Heavy rainfall in from the recent January storms caused floodwater challenges for many of us in California's agriculture community. Click the link to see a list of relief and support resources available from state and federal partners.

Fire Science & Career Workshop for Teens

This is a message from UCCE Sonoma-Napa-Marin and partners

This Youth Fire-science and Resilience Education program (Y-FIRE) features engaging, hands-on activities empowering youth to become fire-wise and fire prepared.

Topics include:

Wildfire & Fire Ecology

History of fire, roles, and uses

Fire-smart landscapes and homes

Emergency preparedness

Session 9am-2pm:

April 1 in Santa Rosa, Pepperwood Preserve

April 15 in Angwin

April 22 in San Rafael

Seats are limited, sign-up is $10

For more information and to register click below:

2023 Living With Fire: Sonoma County Forest Conservation Conference

This is a message from the Sonoma County Forest Working Group

We need your input! Please fill out this quick survey to be added to the conference mailing list. Thank you.

This conference will host a wide range of workshops by resource managers, forest and fire ecologists, community organizations and leaders, public agencies, and conservation organizations to provide an extensive array of information to landowners and resource managers. The aim of the conference is to support our community's wildfire resilience, forest health, community collaboration, best management practices and strategy to protect our communities, our land and natural resources.

This event is hosted by the Sonoma County Forest Conservation Working Group. Learn more here: www.sonomaforests.org

Partner

with us for productive lands and thriving streams

Invest

in your local RCD to support local conservation

Sign Up

for our eNewsletters or follow us on social media

Conservation at Work with LandSmart