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SACRAMENTO -- The
California Department of Conservation
today announced that it has awarded $2
million in grants that will allow
Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs)
around the state to kick-start efforts
that ultimately can lead to cleaner
water, scenic preservation and improved
natural wildlife habitat.
The pilot grant
program will enable 26 RCDs, including
the Fallbrook-based Mission RCD, to hire
watershed coordinators. Generally,
watershed coordinators help assess local
watersheds -- the area drained by a
river or river system -- and help bring
together local government, landowners
and community groups in order to improve
the health of the watersheds.
The Mission RCD
received a grant of $83,300 to fund a
coordinator for the San Luis Rey
Watershed Council. The coordinator's
duties will include providing technical,
administrative and grant-writing support
to the council and improving
coordination between county agencies and
the council.
"There's a real need
throughout the state for the
coordination of efforts at the local
level to improve and protect our
watersheds," Department of Conservation
Director Darryl Young said. "Everyone
lives in a watershed, and the health and
vitality of each one is an important
measure of the quality of life in
California."
Resource Conservation
Districts are locally governed agencies
set up as special districts under
California law with their own locally
appointed or elected boards of
directors. There are 103 RCDs in the
state. In addition to watershed planning
and management, RCDs are authorized to
undertake projects such as agricultural
land conservation, recreational land
restoration, irrigation management,
forest stewardship, wildlife habitat
enhancement and conservation education.
"Resource
Conservation Districts play an important
role in the state's overall land and
water conservation efforts at the
grass-roots level,'' Young said. "RCDs
do a tremendous amount of beneficial
work that those of us concerned with
conservation appreciate."
DOC's Division of
Land Resource Protection received 78
applications requesting more than $5
million in funding. A committee
comprised of representatives of state
and federal agencies as well as a
working watershed organization reviewed
the applications. Tom Wehri, executive
director of the California Association
of Resource Conservation Districts, was
pleased at the response to the pilot
program.
"From our
perspective, it's very encouraging to
see that so many of our RCDs applied,"
he said. "It means that they're willing
to put in the effort, that they have
good ideas and a strong desire to make
changes for the better in their local
watersheds."
The RCDs that
received grants must expend the money by
June 30, 2002. Each RCD was required to
develop measurements of its performance
as part of the application process and
must report its findings to the
Department of Conservation. How well the
RCDs meet their goals will play a role
in determining future funding.
In addition to the
watershed coordinator grants, DOC's
Division of Land Resource Protection
annually makes grants totaling $120,000
for a wide variety of RCD projects. This
year's grants will be announced in
March.
Aside from working
with RCDs and administering agricultural
and open-space land conservation
programs, the Department of Conservation
ensures the reclamation of land used for
mining; promotes beverage container
recycling; regulates oil, gas and
geothermal wells; and studies and maps
earthquakes and other geologic
phenomena.
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