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Butte County has a new Resource Conservation District and is trying to get the word out that services are now available for landowners who want to make improvements to their land. Officials gathered Wednesday to celebrate the formation of district. They were joined at the Honey Run Covered Bridge by representatives of the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service, California Association of Resource Conservation Districts and the California Department of Conservation. The local Resource Conservation District was formed after passage of a countywide ballot measure last year. There are now 104 districts in the state and about 3,000 in the country. They began back in the Dust Bowl days when the government needed a way to work with private landowners on improvements to prevent soil erosion. In the 1970s they were expanded to help with other resource issues including fish and wildlife habitat, control of invasive weeds, etc. With the district in place the county can compete for grant money for conservation projects on private land. Hue Dang works for the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service and has been working to get the local district up and running. She said the local Resource Conservation District is a way to promote ways wildlife and farming can work together for compatible goals. She'll help provide technical assistance for things that individual property owners choose to do on their land. One example, she explained during a recent interview, is to install owl and bat boxes, which help farmers by easing pest problems in orchards. "Bats eat all sorts of things including moths" which harm tree crops, Dang explained. Pia Sevelius was recently hired to work as Butte County's watershed coordinator, a post she will fill for at least two years. She said it's important to note that all programs offered through the Resource Conservation District are voluntary and the agency has no regulatory powers. Some examples of projects could include buffer zones between fields and streams. The buffers create a natural filter to keep agricultural materials from waterways. Promotion of cover crops is another option, to create habitat for beneficial insects and also to retain water. Dang said reducing forest fuel loads is one of the priorities in the Magalia and Paradise area. Cutting down on the amount of brush in the forest decreases the chances of catastrophic fire and protects timber resources. "The Resource Conservation district is a local voice," Dang said, "local leadership on the local level." Sevelius said she will also be working with youth education, such as 4-H and Future Farmers of America. In Glenn County, an established Resource Conservation District has many programs including working with the Upper Stony Creek Watershed Project. Sevelius said improvements have been made to rangeland such as fencing to avoid over-grazing and increasing wildlife and songbird populations. Projects have also focused on erosion control. Resource Conservation Districts will also be a gateway for conservation funds provided in the newest federal farm bill. "I've been able to visit surrounding RCDs," Sevelius said. "The amount of projects with solid implementation is astounding." She said great things can be accomplished when different agencies share a vision and work as a team. For more information online about RCDs, go to www.carcd.org, www.nacdnet.org and www.buttecounty.net. Chico Enterprise Record - Copyright Policy
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