RCDs and You — 8 Ways RCDs Benefit the Public

In this article, we let RCDs play a rare starring role by highlighting some of the critical work we do to benefit our communities.

Established in response to the social, environmental, and economic struggles of the Dust Bowl Era, Resource Conservation Districts across America have been working hand-in-hand with land managers for the past 75-plus years to conserve and restore natural resources and provide community benefits.

As technical assistance providers, RCDs play a supportive role in building the network necessary to improve our use and stewardship of natural resources while also supporting the farmers that produce our food and fiber. In this article, we let RCDs play a rare starring role by highlighting some of the critical work we do to benefit our communities — and the people, animals, and plants that live there.

1. Supporting our farmers, ranchers, land owners, and land managers in taking care of our watersheds: Water is among our most critical natural resources, and protecting the health and well-being of our watersheds is among the most essential tasks for California RCDs. Through a variety of on-the-ground projects such as water-management technical assistance, drought assistance, irrigation system assessments, road-related sediment reduction, rainwater catchment, water-quality enhancement, and more, RCDs prioritize supporting land managers as they implement science-backed solutions to care for this shared resource.
2. Supporting carbon farming design and implementation: Carbon farming is a transformative practice that enables agricultural lands to be an essential contributor to climate change mitigation. Practices range from wetland restoration, wildlife habitat enhancement, to pasture management. RCDs offer comprehensive resources, insights and expertise to help agricultural land managers plan and implement carbon farm plans, from practice-specific resources to information about funding opportunities.

3. Helping communities take climate action: RCDs provide local forums to support land managers, K-12 and college students, and the broader community to learn about and discuss the conservation of natural resources. RCDs value local community participation and therefore engage in a variety of public events such as local river cleanups, technical workshops, natural resource management conferences, educational events, youth volunteer events, and more.

4. Helping to ensure clean and abundant water for people and wildlife: All life depends on water and this resource is particularly important in our state. Through community activities such as river clean-ups, rainwater harvesting projects, educational programs such as watershed workshops, and health and wellness monitoring through stream and fish assessments, RCDs help the community understand how and why we all can contribute to clean, abundant water for all creatures.

5. Engaging and educating youth: Empowering young people with the knowledge, confidence, and passion to protect our natural resources is among the most important ways we can work toward resource conservation in the future. RCDs engage youth through an array of activities, including internship or fellowship opportunities, on-farm experiences, collaborative nature-based educational programs, youth stewardship councils, connections to climate jobs, and more.

6. Building wildfire resiliency: RCDs offer on-the-ground technical and financial assistance to those affected by wildfire. Landowners can learn about wildfire preparedness and defense, how to navigate post-fire recovery of vegetation, financial assistance programs, and more.

7. Earth-friendly landscaping around our homes and schools: You don’t need to be a farmer or rancher to care for our environment and actively support the well-being of our soil, water, and other shared natural resources. Through earth-friendly landscaping around our homes and schools, we can all manage and filter rainwater and support beneficial insects and wildlife. RCDs offer a variety of programs for the public, including workshops and demonstrations, garden tours, work days, and educational resources.

8. Wildlife and biodiversity support: RCDs help protect biodiversity and wildlife populations in robust, measurable ways. RCDs enable landowners to restore creeks and rivers that are home to threatened and endangered species of salmon and trout populations by improving local watershed conditions. We also bring technical and financial resources to land managers to enhance wildlife corridors and the abundance of pollinator species by planting native habitats such as woodlands and hedgerows.

Each RCD provides different resources. Ready to find out how your local RCD benefits your community and how you can get involved? Click here to find your RCD and sign up to get alerts about community events, useful resources, educational opportunities, and more.

The Resource Conservation Network gathers and shares the stories and ideas from its partners and colleagues. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the RCDs managing this publication.