National grant funds wildfire mitigation and soil health through California Resource Conservation Districts

Funding from the Technical Assistance grant will increase on-the-ground conservation by allowing RCDs to hire foresters, soil health specialists, and other technical staff

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USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service

Apr 30, 2020, 18:11 ET

DAVIS, Calif., April 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) awarded a Technical Assistance Grant to nine California resource conservation districts (RCDs). The Amador RCD, the Calaveras County RCD, the Tuolumne County RCD, the Cachuma RCD, the Coarsegold RCD, the East Merced RCD, the Napa County RCD, the Lake County RCD, and the Sonoma RCD will use the funding to hire staff to deliver conservation planning technical assistance and to assist landowners in implementing Conservation Stewardship Program contracts.

The Technical Assistance Grant Program is a collaboration between the NACD and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to provide enhanced conservation services to farmers, ranchers, forestland owners and local communities across the nation. In 2017, NACD entered into the first of a series of cooperative agreements with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and in 2020, they renewed the Memorandum of Agreement that provides the basis for the program.

"Partnerships with the resource conservation districts are paramount to the overarching success of NRCS program delivery. RCD support with the Conservation Stewardship Program further enhances the success of conservation efforts where it counts," said NRCS California State Conservationist Carlos Suarez, "We welcome with open arms a third round of technical assistance in collaboration with the NACD Technical Assistance Grant Program. The local efforts of the RCDs support NRCS conservation goals on the ground by increasing technical assistance available to farmers and ranchers in high priority areas."

The nine RCDs awarded funding were identified by NACD as high-priority locations from previous rounds of agreements, allowing them to continue providing services which they had begun in 2018 and 2019. The entirety of the $15 million available for the 2020 third round of funding has yet to be dispensed, and NACD and NRCS are currently inviting applications for first-time applicants until June 1, 2020. More information on the Technical Assistance Grant can be found here: https://carcd.org/rcds/impact-stories/nacd-ta-grant-2020/.

SOURCE USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service