Like a homemade patchwork quilt, the Department of Conservation (DOC) is put together with pieces of all shapes, sizes, and colors. The end result: a variety of California's environmental, agricultural, aesthetic, and public safety concerns fit under the DOC blanket.

Known by its current name since 1965, the Department of Conservation has a variety of duties including agricultural and open–space land conservation, beverage container recycling, oil and gas well regulation, geologic and seismic hazards research, and mine reclamation. Much of our work is designed to help local officials make the best possible land use decisions for their communities.

The DOC can trace its beginnings to the first California geological survey, which took place from 1853–1856. In 1880, the Legislature created the California State Mining Bureau. Almost 100 years later, in 1961, the Bureau had evolved into the Division of Mines and Geology, part of the Department of Natural Resources, which became the DOC.

Two other long–standing pieces of state government are woven into the fabric of the DOC as well.

The Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources was created under a different name in 1914 to regulate a California industry already 40 years old. And the 1930s Dust Bowl, which alerted the government to the need to conserve valuable soil, led to establishment of the Division of Soil Conservation, today the Division of Land Resource Protection.

Two newer additions make up the remainder of the DOC. In 1986, enactment of the state's "bottle bill" created the Division of Recycling. The 1975 passage of the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act led ultimately to the creation of the Office of Mine Reclamation.

Diverse as DOC's missions may seem, there is a unifying thread that runs through them all: land. Whether promoting conservation of resources through agricultural easements, litter reduction through beverage container recycling, proper reclamation practices for mining operations, or creating maps of earthquake faults and seismic hazard zones, the Department of Conservation is rooted in terra firma.

With that in mind, here are a few pieces of the patchwork that exemplify the DOC's current responsibilities, as they relate to biodiversity concerns.

• Agricultural Conservation Easements — Working with entities such as the American Farmland Trust, The Nature Conservancy, local land trusts, cities, and counties, DOC provides grants that keep California farmers in the business of growing crops. Since 1996, 24 grants through the DOC's California Farmland Conservancy Program (CFCP) have led to permanent conservation easements on more than 18,000 acres. More than $11 million in CFCP funding, leveraged with $13 million in matching funds, have helped purchase development rights from willing owners of this vital farmland. Easements that provide habitat value are of particular interest to the program. Additional grants have gone to cities and counties to assist with planning for future land conservation efforts.

• Timber Harvest Plan Review — The DOC, at the request of the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF), provides engineering geology reviews of some 300–400 timber harvest plans each year with the aim of reducing landslides, soil erosion, and sedimentation in streams. The end result is better water quality for wildlife and humans, and the preservation of threatened species.

• North Coast Watershed Assessment Project — DOC geologists are working with CDF, the Department of Fish and Game, the Department of Water Resources, and the North Coast Water Quality Control Board on this project. DOC will generate maps and databases to use as tools in evaluating how geologic phenomena affect threatened fish species and what restoration procedures may need to be implemented.

• Resource Conservation District (RCD) Support — For several years, the DOC has provided technical support to the state's 103 RCDs. Since 1998, that support has been enhanced with $120,000 in annual grants for specific RCD projects. A major increase in funding occurred in 2000, when for the first time grants were made available to fund watershed coordinator positions. The $2 million in grant awards will be distributed in 2001.

• Farmland Mapping and Monitoring — Every two years, the DOC produces a report showing the changes in the state's supply of agricultural land on a county–by–county basis. The most recent report, covering 1996–98, showed a 25 percent increase in agricultural land urbanization. The report helps local planners make informed decision regarding future land use.

• Surface Mine Reclamation — Working with cities and counties that serve as lead agencies, the DOC ensures that active mines have reclamation plans in place and the funding to pay for reclamation when mining ends. The goals: either return mined lands to their natural state or turn them into something beneficial, and prevent or minimize any potential environmental or public hazards caused by mining.

• Geographic Information Systems — The DOC has a multitude of mapping projects and applies state–of–the–art Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology for accuracy. Map projects include seismic hazard and earthquake fault maps, which delineate areas requiring geologic investigation prior to new construction and minerals resource zones, which are important for geologists and local planners. Other GIS projects include watershed maps as part of the timber harvest plan review and watershed assessment projects; farmland maps, which show agricultural lands and their proximity to urbanizing areas; maps of active and inactive mining operations statewide; maps that show the locations of recycling centers throughout the state; and maps of oil, gas, and geothermal production facilities, pipelines, power plants, and other facets of the state's fuel energy industry.

This is just a small sample of the work being done by the committed, hardworking men and women of the DOC. Through it all, our aim is simple: apply the best science, research, and technology we have to benefit people and land throughout California.

DOC Director Darryl Young can be reached at 801 K Street, MS 24-01, Sacramento, CA 95814, or at (916) 322-1080. Please see the DOC web site at www.consrv.ca.gov.