- Author: Chris M. Webb
Rural roads are vital to rural communities, nature recreation users, and for fire and other disaster emergency response and evacuation. These roads are often located in forested and rangeland settings and may be owned and/or managed by governmental or private parties.
The UC Forest Research and Outreach website offers many wonderful resources, including the Rural Roads Webinar Series. From their website:
“Rural roads in California are associated with several environmental impacts. They have been identified as a major source of sediment production in watersheds supporting beneficial uses. They can provide the means by which exotic plants and animals and pathogens are spread into wild lands. Roads fragment the landscape and adversely affect wildlife habitat. Vehicles traveling on rural roads are responsible for thousands of road-killed wildlife every year.”
The webinar series will provide viewers with:
- a broad overview of the environmental issues associated with rural roads in California.
- a description of the fundamental principles of rural road construction, re-construction and operations.
- a description of practices used to minimize the environmental impacts of road construction, operations and maintenance.
- review methods used for road assessment and inventory to identify problems and maintenance or re-construction or restoration needs.
Check the sitefor upcoming webinars. Previous versions have been archived on the website.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
The Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) works extensively with the nation’s farmers and ranchers to protect soil, water, air, plant, and animal resources while meeting production goals.
Working with agricultural producers allows NRCS to promote conservation practices approximately 1.4 billion acres of the privately held land in the United States. About 92 million acres of land in our country is tended by home gardeners. In an effort to promote conservation on these lands, NRCS has partnered with other organizations to produce, Backyard Conservation: Bringing Conservation From the Countryside to Your Backyard.
This full-color and informative online resource highlights 10 conservation activities that can be used in your backyard, shared spaces, and public places too.
Topics include:
- Trees add beauty and so much more.
- Trees, shrubs, and other plants can provide homes and food for wildlife.
- A backyard pond will likely become the focal point for all your backyard conservation.
- Wetlands filter excess nutrients, chemicals, and sediment and provide habitat for a host of interesting creatures.
- Composting turns household wastes into valuable fertilizer.
- Mulching cools, protects, and enriches the soil.
- Apply only those nutrients the plants can use. (See our previous post on soil test kits to help you get accurate test results.)
- Terracing makes flower and vegetable gardening possible on steep slopes.
- Drip irrigation and other water conservation practices can save water and money.
- Early detection and treatment of pests means a healthier growing environment.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
The spring edition of California Agriculture has a varied collection of articles. You can read about solutions for nitrate in drinking water, protecting California forests form catastrophic fire, agricultural advances, and the history and legacy of the Morrill Act.
Articles include:
- No-tillage and high-residue practices reduce soil water evaporation
- Research and adoption of biotechnology strategies could improve California fruit and nut crops
- Regulatory status of transgrafted plants is unclear
- New quality index based on dry matter and acidity proposed for Hayward kiwifruit
- Honoring 150 years of accessible higher education
- For 150 years, UC science and agriculture transform California
- UC’s land-grant mission fuels nation’s growth, prosperity
- Report seeks solutions for nitrate in drinking water
- UC leads effort to protect California forests from catastrophic fire
- Conservation tillage achieves record acreage, yields
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Today Supervisor John Zaragoza will present resolutions proclaiming May 2012 as both “Watershed Awareness” and “Water Awareness” Month.
There are many events being held around the county this month to celebrate. Santa Clara River events can be found in this Ventura County Star article. Ventura River events can be found at the Ventura River Watershed Council website. If you are aware of any other events, please contact our office and we will be happy to include yours in a future post.
Further information about our local watersheds can be found here. Working together we can all improve our water quality and conservation.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides many resources for public use. In addition to educational resources, the NRCS has some financial assistance programs available to help eligible landowners and agricultural producers plan and implement conservation practices.
These programs address natural resource concerns and include: saving energy; improving soil, water, plant, air, animal and related resources.
Specific programs include:
- Agricultural management assistance
- Agricultural water enhancement program
- Air quality initiative
- Cooperative conservation partnership initiative
- Conservation innovation grants
- Conservation stewardship program
- Environmental quality incentives program
- Emergency watershed protection program
- Wildlife habitat incentive program
Additional information can be found on the NRCS website, or by contacting your local NRCS office. Program information is also available in Spanish.