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Yolo County Resource Conservation District reviews 2023–24 annual report; highlights wildfire, farm and habitat work
Summary
The Yolo County Resource Conservation District presented its 2023–24 annual report describing wildfire fuels projects, farm technical assistance, invasive species treatments and habitat restoration work; the board asked questions about funding stability and program partnerships.
Heather Nichols, executive director of the Yolo County Resource Conservation District (RCD), presented the district's 2023–24 annual report to the Yolo County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 25, summarizing projects in wildfire resilience, farm and ranch technical assistance, open-space lands management and planning/monitoring.
The RCD reported active wildfire projects including the Yolo-Solano Fire Resilience Program, neighborhood chipping, a reflective address sign program, and early implementation of a prescribed-grazing and prescribed-fire program. Staff noted one mile of shaded fuel break and chipping that assisted about 100 homes in high-fire areas.
On agricultural assistance, Nichols said the RCD conducted 62 on-farm water pump efficiency tests, helped growers apply for more than $1 million in irrigation and healthy-soils awards, and supported 58 farm habitat plantings in partnership with high schools. For open-space lands management the RCD treated about 153 acres for invasive species and planted native vegetation across roughly 161 acres of habitat restoration.
Nichols described the RCD’s funding mix as about 68% state grants, roughly 1% local property tax support and the remainder a mix of county and regional grants; the RCD said many state grants are multi-year (commonly three years, sometimes longer) and some are time-limited.
Board members asked about fund sources and potential stability if federal funding remains constrained; Supervisor Frerichs expressed concern that reductions in federal funding could increase pressure on state funds used by the RCD. Supervisor Allen asked whether county chipping equipment is gas- or electric-powered; Nichols said the chipping equipment purchased with early-action funds is gas-powered but welcomed partnership opportunities for electric options.
Nichols closed with upcoming RCD priorities including continued wildfire fuels work (Woodland Regional Park, Pacific Flyway Pond), a bilingual mobile irrigation lab and assistance with healthy-soils and state competitive grant applications.
The board received the report and engaged staff on technical and funding questions; no formal board action was recorded beyond receiving the annual report.
