| Increasing Restoration Activities with Resource Conservation District Watershed Coordinators Department of Conservation
The Budget Act of 2000 established the two million dollar Watershed Coordinator Grant Program for Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) to provide funding for watershed coordinators. This grant program was able to fund watershed coordinators in 30 different watersheds throughout California. Administered by the Department of Conservation (DOC), the watershed coordinator grant program has resulted in tremendous watershed benefits. Watershed coordinators bring diverse stakeholder groups together to implement consensus–based improvements to the watershed. This includes reducing erosion and pollutants, restoring fisheries and habitats, removing noxious weeds, reducing fire danger, and expanding public education. RCD watershed coordinators have successfully started several new community watershed improvement coalitions. More than 320 businesses, federal, state, and local agencies, educational institutions and non–profit organizations have been included as partners for watershed improvement activities. Thousands of additional citizens and hundreds of private firms and public agencies statewide are now involved with watershed improvement efforts. In addition to creating new partnerships, the RCD coordinators have secured over $13 million in funding for watershed improvements. Furthermore, the coordinators have made locally–based RCDs the prime delivery mechanism for a variety of state agency endeavors, including many CalFED programs, the California Department of Fish and Game’s Coastal Salmon Program, the California Department of Water Resources’ Urban Streams Restoration Program, and numerous others. This program has laid the groundwork for continued and expanded watershed improvements throughout the State.
California Biodiversity News: Volume 9, Number 2 |