Spring 2023

CSLRCD Staff Openings…

Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District staff manage more than a dozen grant-funded restoration, planning and resource management projects across coastal San Luis Obispo County. The diverse projects contribute to the environmental well-being of the Central Coast.

A brief description follows for each job listing. Please click the job title to see the full description on our website. We welcome your interest in working at CSLRCD!

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

CSLRCD is seeking a dynamic, professional Executive Director (ED) to join our natural resources team. CSLRCD maintains two offices and employs eight full-time staff engaged in sustainable agriculture, water resources conservation, and restoring and conserving coastal and inland habitats and ecosystems. The ED leads the delivery of services as outlined by the District's Strategic Plan.

This position requires the ability to effectively communicate the CSLRCD's goals, activities, roles and responsibilities to other agencies, organizations and individuals, as well as oversee administrative and budgetary functions. The CSLRCD works in collaboration with local, state and federal partners, including the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service as well as nonprofits and stakeholder groups.

Reporting to the CSLRCD's Board of Directors, the ED oversees District staff and consultants, project planning and implementation including securing funding sources that are primarily grant-based. The ED works collaboratively and serves as a role model for staff by supporting the mission, vision and values of the CSLRCD.

CSLRCD offers a flexible work environment with interesting and challenging work that truly makes a difference in our community.

BOARD SECRETARY

The Board Secretary fulfills all the duties of Board Secretary of the CSLRCD, as defined by State of California Resource Conservation District statutes and the CSLRCD Board of Directors. The Secretary reports to the Board and works closely with the Executive Director.

This position may be expanded into a new title with more responsibility.

Location: Main office located in Morro Bay, CA. Work can work remotely with approval.

Hours: Part-time position, Non-exempt. Generally 10 to 12 hours per month.

Compensation/Benefits: $20 - $24 per hour depending on experience plus health stipend, generous vacation and sick allowance.

CSLRCD BOARD MEMBER

For more than 50 years, the CSLRCD has been an important partner in the community, working to support landowners to protect soil and water resources through implementation of conservation and restoration projects. The seven-member volunteer Board of Directors of the CSLRCD provides policy and fiscal direction to the organization to support the District’s mission. The CSLRCD currently has an open position on the Board of Directors.



Please click the title to view the candidate qualifications and qualifications, requirements and the position's application.

California is one of the most agriculturally productive regions in the world. The state also faces severe water pressure, resulting in creative solutions to managing an extremely limited natural resource. In a state where agriculture accounts for approximately 40 percent of all water used, increased drought has left California growers vulnerable to losses in crop revenue. Efficient irrigation practices are cost-effective tools that allow growers to adapt to drought by using less water and energy to maximize productivity.

The Coasal San Luis Resource Conservation District (CSLRCD) will host an Irrigation Efficiency Workshop from 9:30 a.m.–noon on Friday, May 5, 2023, at Wolff Vineyards in San Luis Obispo. We will discuss water-saving techniques and irrigation system efficiencies with local water users, Mark Battany with UC Cooperative Extension and CSLRCD staff. This free workshop will provide specific strategies to improve irrigation efficiency and opportunities for funding of conservation management practices on agricultural lands. We hope to see you there!

This is an outdoor event on uneven ground; closed toed shoes, and sun and rain protection are recommended. This event will happen rain or shine.

The flier below has registration and location information. For a larger pdf to download, please click here or scan the flier's QR code.

For more information, please contact Megan Widle at [email protected]

Fine–Scale Vegetation Mapping Project Underway in SLO, Monterey and San Benito Counties

The Central Coast of California is home to some of the most ecologically diverse ecosystems and beloved places in the United States. The area consists of public and private lands that provide natural resources, recreational opportunities and economic vitality for local residents, in addition to wildlife habitat and vital refuges for many threatened, endangered and special status species.

As the impacts of global climate change and increasing human populations become more pronounced, it is clear the ecological health of these areas is increasingly at risk. In order to understand these increased risks on natural resources, it is vital that land managers, policy makers and technical assistants obtain a detailed knowledge of the landscape.

Unfortunately, there are serious gaps in knowledge about the vegetated landscapes of the counties that make up the Central Coast. Existing vegetation maps are piecemeal, out of date or at a statewide scale that cannot support local decision making. In an effort to remedy these major knowledge gaps, the Resource Conservation Districts of San Luis Obispo, Monterey and San Benito counties have embarked on a project to develop comprehensive databases of the counties’ resources.

This past February, the Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District (CSLRCD) obtained funding from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Vegetation Classification and Mapping Program (VegCAMP) to develop a fine-scale vegetation map and map database for the entire Central California Coast and Central California Coast Ranges ecoregions, using the Survey of California Vegetation (SCV) standards.

The project began its early planning stages in January 2023 and is slated for completion in March 2026. The CSLRCD is partnering with the Upper Salinas Las Tablas, Monterey and San Benito RCDs to gather vegetation information from landowners, state and federal entities in order to build a fine-scale vegetation map and map database to support conservation of the area’s unique biodiversity and improve upon management of working and wild lands.

In order to accomplish this immense task, it is crucial that the San Luis Obispo and Monterey RCDs acquire landowner support. On-the-ground vegetation surveys begin this spring and extend to fall 2024. If you are, or know of, a landowner within SLO County who would be willing to allow the RCDs to perform vegetation surveys on your property, please reach out to the office or the email below.

If you’d like to learn more about this project, please contact the CSLRCD office or email the CSLRCD’s Vegetation Mapping Coordinator, Maurica Anderson, at [email protected]. We appreciate your support and are excited to deliver this project to San Luis Obsipo County.

Welcome, New Staff Members

Upcoming Events

Friday, April 28, noon

Board of Directors Meeting

UC Cooperative Extension

Friday, May 26, noon

Board of Directors Meeting

UC Cooperative Extension

__________

2021–2022 Annual Report

Board of Directors

Neil Havlik

President

Expertise: botany and natural resource management

Jean-Pierre Wolff

Vice President

Expertise: vineyard management and engineering

Dan Chesini

Expertise: agricultural and natural resources management

Linda Chipping

Expertise: community development

Jessica Crutchfield

Expertise: environmental law

Ron Munds

Expertise: water

Chris Bersbach

Associate Director

Expertise: environmental science

Jeana Cadby

Associate Director

Expertise: sustainable agriculture and natural resources conservation

Learn More About CSLRCD at www.coastalrcd.org

Staff

Jackie Crabb

Executive Director

Hallie Richard

Conservation Programs Manager

Hayley Barnes

Conservation Projects Manager

Niki Eschler

Conservation Projects Manager

Joe Murphy

District Engineer

Megan Widle

Conservation Coordinator

Maurica Anderson

Vegetation Mapping Coordinator

Samantha Alvarez

Restoration Coordinator

Mark Skinner

Restoration Specialist II

Alanna Kiefer

Restoration Specialist I

Shelly Rachels

Accounting Manager

Job Opening

Board Secretary

COMING SUMMER 2023

Watch for information on the Central Coast Rural Roads Improvement Workshop.

• SCAN the QR code above or click this link to complete the survey.

• VISIT our website to learn more about the RCD's work with the HSP and SWEEP programs.

• VISIT the CDFA HSP website—click here.

• VISIT the CDFA SWEEP website—click here.