Sac Valley RCDs Team Up to Offer Technical Assistance for CDFA Programs: Healthy Soils and SWEEPColusa County RCD is partnering with Sutter County RCD to provide technical assistance to producers interested in apply for CDFA's SWEEP and Healthy Soils financial assistance programs.
Remembering CCRCD's Longest Serving DirectorBob Alvernaz served on the Colusa County RCD's Board of Directors for forty-eight years from 1970 to 2018. Director Alvernaz's cheerfulness and sense of humor at board meetings and dedication to conservation in agriculture will be remembered. Condolences to his daughter Patti Turner and the rest of the Alvernaz family.
CCRCD Hiring Office Assistant and Natural Resource CoordinatorThe Colusa County RCD is hiring two positions. Please review the job descriptions below. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the Colusa County RCD or the job offerings. Please contact Liz Harper at 530-458-5131 Ext. 117 or email at Liz@colusarcd.org
Upper Little Stony Restoration ProjectThe first phase of the project, biomass treatment of dead and dying trees, continues throughout the dry winter. The subcontractors have been able to mechanically remove and pile roughly 400 acres and the hand crews have cut and pile around 200 acres. The project team is planning for other site preparation activities such as herbicide treatment of invasive species and pruning oak sprouts. The…
Upcoming Virtual Event : Winter Cover Cropping in the Sacramento Valley University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) and Colusa Resource Conservation District are excited to announce their first Virtual Field Day coming up on Wednesday, March 24th! The day will focus on examples of winter cover cropping in the Sacramento Valley between row crop rotations, cover cropping with legumes in the Delta, how and when to plant winter crops, and different seed…
Cover Cropping & BioMass - RCD collects the dataIt's our 2nd crop of cover crop at Davis Ranches, and it's time to collect the data before it's time to plant summer crops. What's the height, weight and density of the crop? What's the ratio to weeds versus cover crop? Liz, Sarah, Gerry, Sierra and Pooja worked together to collect all the data we could. The wind was strong, but we were stronger!
Colusa County Community Wildfire Protection Plan 2021 In 2019, the CCCRCD recieved funding through the California Fire Safe Council and from Colusa County to develop a Community Wildfire Protection Plan. This plan covers all wildland within the county addressing potential risks to wildfire and identifying project that would protect the people and property of our county. These project range from organizational such as developing a locally-led fire…
Colusa Glenn Subwatershed Program UpdatesSince 2018, the RCD has provided outreach and education assistance services with Glenn County RCD for the Colusa Glenn Subwatershed Program (CGSP). The partnership between Colusa County RCD and Glenn County RCD has allowed CGSP to effectively help their Members in Colusa County meet requirements of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board’s Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program.
The Community Wildfire Protection PlanThe plan is almost complete. The base map is drafted outline fuel and fire priority projects in the Western Colusa County planning unit. Check it out below.
Healthy Soils Demo Site Soil SamplingThe soil sampling continues with Agronomy Farm Advisor, Sarah Light, after corn harvest at the Healthy Soils Demonstration Site.
CCRCD Hiring Outreach and Education CoordinatorCCRCD is hiring a part-time position: Outreach and Education Coordinator
Request for Statement of Qualifcations for Contractors- Forest Health Project in Colusa CountyREQUEST FOR STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATION FOR CONTRACTORS: FOREST HEALTH PROJECT PHASE 1 IN COLUSA COUNTY
Project Update: Healthy Soils Demonstration SiteThe Virtual Soil Health Mob is still a thing! Watch and subscribe new interviews posted weekly here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRI4lXL4f_ro_Flnp4lu6IA
Mendocino Forest Restoration UnderwayCCRCD has started the restoration project funded through the CalFire Forest Health grant. The project work is being lead by a sub-contracted Registered Professional Forester along with project coordination from Rob Rianda of RCD of Tehama County. Since the execution of the grant contract in April, the team has completed the environmental review process and developed treatment prescriptions for…
Project Update: Community WIld Fire Protection Plan The Community Wildfire Protection Plan is almost complete! Please review the CWPP Draft here:
Get your soil tested! Are you interested in the health of your soil? CCRCD's new Natural Resource Coordinator, Victor Briones, can preform a soil health assessment on your farm or ranch!
Read the 2019 Annual Report The CCRCD is looking back at 2019. It was a year of growth and a strong ending to the decade. Please read the 2019 Annual Report.
Colusa Glenn Subwatershed Update 10.21.19Get your calendars out and jot down the following trainings and meetings.
But first, soil samples! 10.21.2019lots and lots of soil samples! Post-harvest duties for a soil scientist is to make sure to get accurate baseline soil samples for research programs. The CCRCD, NRCS and Anthony Chesini, farm manager for Richter Ag, assisted Ag Advisor Sarah Light in conducting baseline soil samples. The samples set out to measure bulk density and nutrient and organic composition of the soil pre-cover crop trial.
Colusa High School Students act to save the Western MonarchOn a mid-October morning, 34 Colusa High School students participated in establishing critical monarch habitat in an oak woodland restoration site. These CHS seniors are apart of the Environmental Science Academy, a program spearheaded by Biology teacher, John Wirt, which aims to create and prepare the next generation’s science leaders. The students were not afraid to get their hands dirty and…
Maxwell High School Junior Wins 2019 Speak-OffOctober 3rd, 2019 CCRCD had three participants in the Speak-Off contest. Two contestants represented Pierce High School: senior, Crystal Medina, and freshman, Katie Washburn. Medina took second place and plans on a future in Agriculture Communications, clearly a natural fit. Washburn came in third place and expects to participate in the coming years. Abby Dunlap, a junior from Maxwell High…
A BIG Thank You to All That Participated in the Producers 101" EventJuly 8th’s meeting brought together a number of organizations providing assistance to farmers and ranchers. The presenters gave a 5 minute overview of programs and producers could speak one-on-one with them during the social hour that followed. The presenters included: Mary Fahey of Colusa County Water Resources, Casey Ryan of Colusa County Air Pollution Control District, UC Farm Advisors Franz…
Community Wildfire Protection Plan Update 08.06.2019The first draft of Colusa County’s CWPP is complete. The plan is divided up into three planning units: Western Colusa County, Wildlife Refuges and protected wildlife areas, and the Sacramento River Corridor. The CCRCD is going to be presenting the plan to the community in the coming months for review, feedback and any needed project additions or modifications. If you live in or near a wildland…
What is Carbon Farming?CCRCD is going to find out! We have just started our first carbon farm plan in partnership with Davis Ranches, NRCS, Carbon Cycle Institute and California Association of Resource Conservation Districts. Carbon farming gained traction after soil health practices showed a measurable increase of soil carbon which was “harvested” out of the atmosphere. As carbon farming is a fairly new idea, CCRCD…
Colusa High School Graduate Plans a Monarch HabitatXerces Society is providing 1600 perennial pollinator plants for three projects in Colusa County. Heartleaf and Narrow-leaf milkweed (Asclepias speciose, Asclepias fascicularis) will be two of the species in the “Pollinator Kit” along with Coyote Mint (Monardella villosa), California Goldenrod (Solidago velutina ssp. californica), Pacific Aster (Symphyotrichum chilense), and Western Vervain (…
Meet our New Soil Conservationist As a new employee to the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Services (NRCS) in Colusa, I am settling into my career and my new community. My family and I are coming from Reno, NV, although my husband spent most of his childhood here in Colusa County and has family here. I was born and raised in Weaverville, and I’m excited to get back to a small town where we can set our roots and become an…
CCRCD Takes a Hike...in the Buttes!Brandi and I had the opportunity to get to know each other better as we hiked the Sutter Buttes with the Sutter Buttes Land Trust, a partner of both Sutter County and Colusa County RCDs. As we explored the Sacramento Valley’s iconic “smallest mountain range in the world”, we both expressed feeling more connected to the place we live and work in. Photos of the day can be found on our facebook page…
CCRCD Directors Visit Leopold Award-Winner Lundberg FarmsThe CCRCD directors visited Lundberg Farms to learn about soil health and nitrogen management in rice production through the use of fava bean cover crops. Directors Gallagher, Nall and Felt attended to learn more about how the CCRCD can encourage on soil health in Colusa County. It was a wonderful day topped with a free Lundberg Farm’s goodie. The brown rice “Pico de Gallo” chips come highly…
Gearing up for the Community Wildfire Portection Plan 04.02.2019Colusa County has received grant funding to facilitate the development of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). The plan will cover all privately-owned lands within the western portion of the county. The CCRCD believe having a relevant, community-developed CWPP can prevent damaging wildfires, protect life and property and restore wildfire impacted area to maintain ecosystem health…
Gearing up for the Community Wildfire Portection Plan 04.02.2019Colusa County has received grant funding to facilitate the development of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). The plan will cover all privately-owned lands within the western portion of the county. The CCRCD believe having a relevant, community-developed CWPP can prevent damaging wildfires, protect life and property and restore wildfire impacted area to maintain ecosystem health…
CCRCD Director RememberedPatti Turner, retired Executive Director, spoke at Gil Ramos’ memorial service earlier this year. She spoke on the meaningful contributions Gil made to the CCRCD as a director and to his community. The power of Gil’s “yes” made a big difference in the projects and programs the CCRCD brought to Colusa County. Below you will read Turner’s memory of Gil and what the CCRCD will remember of him.
Erickson Places at Regional Speak-OffMorgan Erickson, a freshman at Pierce High School, did an outstanding job making a case for “How RCDs can help landowners protect against wildfires”. She clearly outlined action steps for RCDs such as educating the public on fire prevention practices and helping landowners create defensible space around their homes. Morgan brought up a real-life scenario of how the Colusa County RCD helped…
CCRCD Speak-Off Award Winners 2019Emiliano Rodriguez and Morgan Erickson, both from Pierce High School, gave presentations to the Colusa County Resource Conservation Board of Directors on “How RCDs help landowners reduce the threat of fires?”. These two high school students impressed the board by giving actionable ways RCDs can help local landowners. Emiliano, who place second, was able get the audience to visualize the breath…
STARTHISTLE: THE LANDOWNER STRIKES BACK BY EMILY HARMONEver wonder how that spiny yellow-flowered thistle came to be almost everywhere you look in the Sacramento Valley? This extremely resilient plant is exceptionally hard to eradicate, and often takes several years of intensive management to be able to control. Starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) can spread rapidly and take over sides of roadways and pastures in practically no time, and many…