Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry announced Wednesday that AB 1902, her legislation to update the authority of resource conservation districts to fight climate change, has been signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Resource conservation districts, or RCDs, are special districts created in the 1930s to serve as the local connection to state and federal conservation programs in response to the dust bowl.
Over the decades since RCDs have evolved into a network of 95 districts across the state to meet the natural resource needs of rural, urban, and suburban communities.
As California’s natural resource challenges have evolved, so has the role of RCDs.
Today, RCDs employ and contract with conservation professionals and local experts to implement programs and projects on and provide technical assistance and education to landowners of public and private natural, working, and urban lands to achieve California’s climate, conservation and environmental goals.
“RCDs are doing incredibly important work, including growing efforts to address climate change,” said Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters). “In my district, RCDs are reforesting areas hurt by wildfires, supporting water conservation, controlling erosion, managing soil health, and so much more.”
She continued, “Many of these RCDs, however, are located in rural communities and have small budgets and few resources to do the work they’re responsible for. We have a responsibility to make it easier for RCDs to receive grants from the state and to make sure that the law is updated to reflect the work that these resources professionals are already doing.”
The last meaningful update to Division 9 occurred in the 1970s, and the statute currently is out of step with the types of projects RCDS can undertake.
RCDs are neither enterprise districts (fees for services) nor non-enterprise (tax supported) and are largely dependent on state grants. Relying on grants has led RCDs to take on service programs beyond the clear and/or explicit provision in statute.
AB 1902 adds a number of conservation activities that RCDs may be formed to address. In addition to their current authorization to control runoff, prevent or control soil erosion, the development and distribution of water, and the improvement of land capabilities, RCDs would have statutory authority in line with their current work.
These authorities would range from protecting people, communities, and ecosystems from wildfire, drought and other disasters wrought by climate change to controlling and eradicating invasive species to providing technical assistance to landowners to enhance the landowners’ knowledge of resilience practices.
“RCDs are playing a critical role in helping the state and communities respond and adapt to climate change and AB 1902 will enable RCDs to go to the next level on this important work,” said Don Butz, board chair of the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts. “We are very thankful to Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry for carrying this measure and the hard work of her staff to see AB 1902 through the Legislature.”
Aguiar-Curry represents the Fourth Assembly District, which includes all of Lake and Napa Counties, parts of Colusa, Solano and Sonoma counties, and all of Yolo County except West Sacramento.