The Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District (SCCRCD) is a little-known but important Special District. County funding is only $40,000 per year, yet the agency channels millions of dollars in state and federal grant money to local projects. Originally a “dust-bowl era” program designed to help farmers conserve water; today the district’s focus is on habitat management. SCCRCD is not designed to perform work itself. Rather it writes grants and does studies for its clients, which range from individual homeowners to large water districts. They are referred to a list of contractors and consultants maintained by the SCCRCD. Granting agencies and clients report they are pleased with the agency’s work.
The purpose of Resource Conservation Districts (RCD) is to provide local non-regulatory, educational and technical assistance to landowners and agencies.
The district’s mission is to secure the adoption of conservation practices best adapted to save the basic resources of the state from unreasonable and preventable waste and destruction. These areas include, but are not limited to, farm, range, open space, urban development, wildlife, recreation, watershed, water quality and woodland.[1]
Most states have RCDs. California has 103 RCDs. Not all counties have RCDs and some have more than one.
The current
concept of the RCD grew out of its origins in the dust-bowl era when small
farmers needed help to survive. Now the RCD concentrates on good land/habitat
management. RCDs were originally designed to share project costs with farmers.
Now they also assist homeowners with their horse pastures, roads, erosion
control, stream management and other projects.
RCDs in the State of California have strong powers and
authority that differ significantly from other federal and state resource
agencies. At the county level, RCD Directors are elected or appointed
officials. At the state level, the District is empowered under the Public
Resources Code. At the federal level, the power source for RCDs is the Standard
State Soil Conservation Districts Law, and the Farm Bills.[2]
The Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District
(SCCRCD) has no jurisdiction within the city limits of Capitola, Santa Cruz,
Scotts Valley or Watsonville. Its jurisdiction lies solely within the
unincorporated areas of the county.
The SCCRCD performs many functions:
· It guides Natural Conservation Resources Service funding and on-site technical assistance provided to property owners, especially agricultural producers and rural landowners.
· It was a key player in development of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Agricultural Water Quality Plan and continues to guide the implementation and revision of the plan.
· In conjunction with the Farm Bureau, it has led the effort for voluntary agricultural water quality improvement through Farm Water Quality Short Courses.
· It writes the plans needed before a grant application can be submitted.
· It writes grant applications in a voluntary, non-regulatory approach to fulfill community concerns that are not being addressed by other agencies. Examples are water quality, fisheries, habitat enhancement and restoration.
· It coordinates teams to create enhancement, assessment, and implementation plans for roads, culverts, drainage or geologic needs.
·
The SCCRCD looks at the Cost Share Program mandated or
authorized by the USDA Farm Benefit. The Cost Share Program allows individuals
to match their money with grant funds for their projects.
The SCCRCD has developed an Integrated Watershed Restoration
Program that is the model for the state. It brings together the watershed
assessments of the entire county for a coordinated approach. State and federal
requirements are taken into consideration.
A homeowner can call the SCCRCD and get technical design
assistance for specific problem resolution. When the SCCRCD prepares a resource
conservation plan, its staff and consultants recommend solutions to the problems
that they encounter. These plans, after approval by the granting authority, are
not necessarily the only way projects can be done. They are solutions that can
be implemented without further research. Other solutions can be implemented if
the granting authority approves them.
Since the SCCRCD cannot fund repairs or investigations from its own budget, the SCCRCD may direct the homeowner toward grants or agencies that could have matching funds. All of the work for the projects undertaken by the SCCRCD is completed under grants from other agencies (granting authorities) such as the California Department of Fish and Game, the California Water Resource Conservation Board and the Coastal Conservancy.
The Grand Jury reviewed the general operations of the Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District, focusing on four areas:
· The operating procedures of the district.
· The funding of the district.
· The purpose of the district.
· How the district publicizes itself.
Interviewed:
California State environmental agency officials.
Environmental groups.
Granting agencies.
Resource Conservation District customers.
Resource Conservation District officials.
Santa Cruz County environmental agency officials.
United States Federal environmental agency officials.
Reviewed:
RCD Web site.
Valley Press, October 28-November 4, 2003.
1.
There are many applications for federal and state grant money.
For example, the California Department of Fish and Game alone receives about
400 proposals for projects each year.
Response: Santa Cruz County
Resource Conservation District AGREES.
2.
Santa Cruz County funds the RCD with approximately $40,000
annually to cover miscellaneous expenses.
Response: Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors DISAGREES.
While it is true that the County has provided funding to RCD over the years,
the amount for the current year is $29,000.
Response: Santa Cruz County
Resource Conservation District AGREES.
3.
The district brings in grant money for projects worth millions
of dollars.
Response: Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District AGREES.
4.
The SCCRCD operates with a staff of two full-time and six
part-time employees.
Response: Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District AGREES.
5.
The district’s charter establishes it as a non-regulatory
agency.
Response: Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District AGREES.
6.
Proposals must be available for assessment, enhancement and
implementation of a project before a grant application can be submitted.
Response: Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District AGREES.
The SCCRCD responds to requests for proposals.
7.
Grants are awarded for various purposes: for studies, designs,
plans and reports as well as for implementation. Grant funds can be used for
the stated purpose only.
Response: Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District AGREES.
8.
Each granting authority has stringent auditing requirements
for both labor charges and report contents. Labor hours are audited on each
submittal.
Response: Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District AGREES.
9.
Permits currently can take up to two years to process. A
single stream project may require as many as five separate permits from
different agencies before it can proceed. They include the Regional Water Quality
Control Board, the California Department of Fish and Game, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife, the Army Corps of Engineers, the National Marine Fisheries Services
and several county agencies.
Response: Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District AGREES.
10.
Landowners and the SCCRCD see the permit process as a daunting
problem.
Response: Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District AGREES.
11.
The SCCRCD has many years’ experience in dealing with these
agencies and understands the permit process.
Response: Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District AGREES.
12. The SCCRCD received a $4.5 million grant from the California Coastal Conservancy to take on a new role of coordinating projects through their design and permit phases. The Coastal Conservancy gave the following reasons for selecting the SCCRCD: It is a non-regulatory agency and thus not threatening to property owners nor conflicting with other regulatory agencies. The non-regulatory requirement eliminated many other potential choices.
·
The SCCRCD’s jurisdiction is the unincorporated area of
the county.
In addition, the City of Capitola is
included in the SCCRCD’s jurisdiction
· The SCCRCD already successfully completed several watershed projects and is “considered to be a great grant manager.”[3]
Response: Santa Cruz County
Resource Conservation District AGREES.
13.
SCCRCD recommends contractors and consultants from an approved
list of specialists. Final selection is with the user.
Response: Santa Cruz County
Resource Conservation District PARTIALLY AGREES.
The list contains names of Certified Professional Erosion and Sediment
Control Specialists (CPESC).
14.
The California Department of Fish and Game has worked with
SCCRCD for more than 20 years.
Response: Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District AGREES.
15.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service has worked with
SCCRCD for 63 years.
Response: Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District AGREES.
16.
The SCCRCD publicizes its resources through brochures,
handouts, press releases, newspaper articles, radio, word of mouth, e-mail list
servers, direct mailing or personal recommendations. The SCCRCD uses its own
newsletters or it may be included in other newsletters as a technical resource.
Response: Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District AGREES.
17. The SCCRCD receives numerous contacts from road associations, landowners and land managers who have learned about it from the various ways the agency publicizes itself. The Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau Newsletter’s monthly article, written by the SCCRCD or the Natural Resources Conservation Service, often refers growers and landowners to the SCCRCD.
Response: Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District AGREES.
18. Landowners are often referred to the SCCRCD by agencies or community groups or other landowners as a source of technical assistance and information. The SCCRCD recently created a Web site and has an intern making it more user-friendly. The district has noticed that other groups have links to its Web site as well.
Response: Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District AGREES
19. Critics say the money spent on reports would be better spent on projects.[4]
Response: Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District
PARTIALLY AGREES.
The SCCRCD helps people protect, conserve and restore natural resources through information, education, and technical assistance programs. The development of Watershed Assessment and Enhancement Project Plans was necessary to secure implementation funding for projects.
20. The district cannot use grant money specified for reports to implement projects.
Response: Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District AGREES.
21. Critics say that the SCCRCD makes decisions without public input.
Response: Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District
PARTIALLY AGREES.
The SCCRCD Board Meetings are
posted and open to the public. There is time scheduled on each agenda to
receive public input. Individual projects are between the SCCRCD and individual
landowners. The SCCRCD has developed a website and newsletter outlining
programs and regularly solicits public participation and input through press
releases, workshops, public meetings and through direct constituent
communication.
22. Public input is not required by most granting authorities dealing with the district.
Response: Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District
PARTIALLY AGREES.
There are components within
most of the grant programs that include public meetings, press releases,
workshops and tours for public participation.
23. Critics allege that some landowners have illegally diverted water or otherwise violated water and environmental resource law. These critics say that the SCCRCD should release the names of these landowners.
Response: Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District
DISAGREES.
The District’s non-regulatory status does not allow it to become
involved in enforcing the law. There are existing regulatory agencies with that
jurisdiction.
24.
The district’s non-regulatory status does not allow it to
become involved in enforcing the law.
Response: Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District AGREES.
Conclusions
1. A key to the SCCRCD’s success is to use its non-regulatory status to build trust and to provide help as needed. Policing its clients would both violate its charter and impede its work.
2. Money spent on proposals, studies and plans is not wasted because agencies that grant funds for projects require such reports to be written before they consider applications.
3. The public has grown accustomed to commenting on projects. Such comments now seem inevitable and desirable. However, the RCD cannot be faulted for adhering to grant standards that do not require such input.
4. Public awareness is one key to the agency’s success.
5. With a small amount of local tax dollars, the SCCRCD performs a valuable service in bringing millions of dollars worth of state and federal funds to the county for local projects.
6. Helping homeowners negotiate the permit process is an important addition to the SCCRCD’s mission.
7. Critics of the SCCRCD appear to lack a basic understanding of the agency’s rules of operation.
1.
The Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District should be
praised for the fine work it is doing.
Response: Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors AGREES.
The Board shares the Grand Jury’s appreciation of the work of the
Resource Conservation District.
2.
The Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District should
work to expand public awareness of its services.
Response: Santa Cruz County
Resource Conservation District AGREES.
The SCCRCD has developed a website, newsletter and specific program press
releases. There is a contact form posted on the sccrcd@sccrcd.org website.
3. The Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District should allow as much public input as possible. Even if grantors do not require it, this helps enhance the project itself, builds good community relations and publicizes the work of the SCCRCD.
Response: Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District
AGREES.
The mission of the Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District is to
help people protect, conserve, and restore natural resources through
information, education, and technical assistance programs. The SCCRCD agrees
with this recommendation and is developing a website, speaking at public
meetings and schools, participating in the County Fair, developing a regular
newsletter, conducting more outreach for SCCRCD sponsored events and partnering
with water districts and community groups on outreach events.
4.
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors should continue to
fund this valuable agency.
Response: Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors AGREES.
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors should continue to fund this
valuable agency.
5.
Funding should be found to continue the SCCRCD’s role as a
permit coordinator.
Response: Santa Cruz County Board of
Supervisors CANNOT RESPOND.
Implementation
of this recommendation requires further analysis and should be deferred until
such time that the RCD’s permit coordination program has been fully defined and
implemented to the satisfaction of both the County and RCD. At this stage,
there are many issues yet to be resolved before this program can be declared a
success. If that program proves successful, the County would then explore
whether there are fiscal options available to fund RCD for this purpose.
Response: Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District AGREES.
Has not yet been implemented, but will be implemented in the future. The
SCCRCD is actively trying to identify funding for a permit coordinator. The
Natural Resources Conservation Service has dedicated part time staff support
for the program.
Responses
Required
Entity
|
Findings
|
Recommendations
|
Respond Within
|
|
Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors |
2 |
1, 4, 5 |
90 days (September 30, 2004) |
|
Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District |
1 - 20 |
2, 3, 5 |
60 days (August 30, 2004) |