What California Resource Conservation Districts Are
A resource conservation district, or RCD, is a local special district that helps landowners look after soil, water and wildlife habitat. Per the California Department of Conservation, RCDs are special districts of the State of California and are locally governed, created under Division 9 of the Public Resources Code. Each has its own independent board. A Yuba County RCD page calls them non-regulatory districts that are publicly accountable, and that matters to a rancher: an RCD offers help, not citations.
How Many Districts and Where
The state's RCD network includes 98 special districts serving rural, urban and suburban communities. The Department of Conservation's directors' handbook, printed in 2015-2016, says there are over 95 districts covering more than 85 percent of the state. Counts shift as districts merge or form, so treat both as "nearly 100." Some counties have one district, others several, and some land lies outside any district. The Department of Conservation RCD page links an "Explore RCDs across California" directory, which is the place to start.
A Short History
The Dust Bowl drove the first districts. The handbook notes that the federal Soil Conservation Service was established in 1937 and that California authorized Soil Conservation Districts in 1938. Their original purpose, per the Yuba page, was helping farmers and ranchers get federal and state funds and technical help. Powers later grew to cover fish and wildlife habitat, and the districts became resource conservation districts.
What Districts Work On
The Department of Conservation lists 14 areas of activity, including:
- Watershed planning and management, water conservation and water quality
- Agricultural land conservation and irrigation management
- Wildlife habitat, wetland conservation and forest stewardship
- Wildfire resilience and climate resilience
- Conservation education and urban resource conservation
Individual districts specialize. The Sonoma RCD describes itself as the state's only grassroots conservation delivery system and helps with conservation planning, irrigation evaluation, soil health testing, carbon farm plans and forest management plans. The Butte County RCD, per its What We Do page, helps landowners protect soil, water and wildlife habitat and also takes on short-term technical work for public agencies.
Who Runs a District
Per the directors' handbook:
- Boards have five, seven or nine directors.
- Directors serve four-year terms with no term limit and are not paid for their work as directors.
- Candidates must be registered California voters living in the district, and must own land in the district or have served at least two years as an associate director. Two districts, Suisun and Grasslands, are exempt from the residency requirement.
- Boards hold regular monthly meetings that fall under the Brown Act, so agendas are posted 72 hours ahead and the public may attend.
Running for a Board Seat
Directors are chosen at the November election under the Uniform District Elections Law, and a candidate's application needs signatures from at least ten voters in the district. The handbook adds that the County Board of Supervisors can instead appoint directors if the RCD requests it at least 125 days before an election. If you want a seat, ask your district whether the next vacancy will go to a vote or an appointment, and consider attending meetings first. A person cannot be a county supervisor and an RCD director at the same time.
Money: Property Tax and Grants
Funding varies a lot. The handbook explains that districts that received property tax revenue before Proposition 13 in 1978 generally still receive their pre-1978 share, new assessments need two-thirds voter approval, and most districts rely heavily on competitive grants. Fees for services are another source. Sonoma RCD says the county tax base provides 3 to 5 percent of its annual budget, with the rest from grants and fee-for-service contracts. Butte County RCD says it receives no property tax funding and pays for projects one at a time through grants and contracts, which often lets it serve locals for free.
The Statewide Network and NRCS
The California Association of Resource Conservation Districts, CARCD, is a statewide network that builds the capacity of individual RCDs. Its projects include the California Farm Demonstration Network, carbon farm plans, board and staff trainings, and administering CDFA small and underserved producer drought relief grants. RCDs also partner with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Butte County RCD describes a long working relationship in which NRCS assigns a District Conservationist to provide technical assistance and link the district to federal programs.
How to Work With Your District
- Find your district through the Department of Conservation RCD directory, then check the district's own website for staff and projects.
- Call before you plan. Districts often know which grants are open and which agencies must sign off.
- Bring a map of your parcel and a plain description of the problem: erosion, a failing culvert, poor pasture, fire risk.
- Ask what is free and what is fee-for-service. Practices differ by district.
- Attend a board meeting. They are public and show what the district is funding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an RCD a regulator?
No. RCDs are described as non-regulatory and voluntary, per the Yuba County RCD and Sonoma RCD pages.
Do I pay for help?
It depends on the district and the project. Some districts serve locals for free using grants, others charge fees for services. Ask your district.
Are directors elected?
Either elected or appointed locally, per the Department of Conservation. Appointment requires the county board of supervisors.
Are RCDs part of county government?
No. Sonoma RCD notes it is a special district, not part of county government.
California Listings Covered by This Guide
- Alameda County Resource Conservation District
Alameda County Resource Conservation District is a California special district that works with landowners in the East Bay on soil, water and habitat; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Alameda County.
CA - Alpine Resource Conservation District
Local conservation district named among Alpine County partner groups working on land and water stewardship.
Markleeville, CA Website - Amador Resource Conservation District
Amador Resource Conservation District is a California special district that assists foothill ranchers and vineyard owners with conservation practices; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Amador County.
CA - Bard Resource Conservation District
Bard Resource Conservation District is a California special district that covers farmland along the Colorado River in southeastern Imperial County; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Imperial County.
CA - Butte College Agriculture, Environmental Horticulture and Natural Resources
Butte College department offering agriculture business, plant science, environmental horticulture and natural resources degrees, with a campus farm, greenhouses and a 928-acre wildlife refuge.
3536 Butte Campus Drive, Oroville, CA 95965 | (530) 895-2835 Website - Butte County Resource Conservation District
Butte County Resource Conservation District is a California special district that supports farm, orchard and watershed projects around Chico and Oroville; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Butte County.
CA - Cachuma Resource Conservation District
Cachuma Resource Conservation District is a California special district that serves Santa Ynez Valley landowners on creek, soil and irrigation projects; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Santa Barbara County.
CA - Calaveras County Resource Conservation District
Calaveras County Resource Conservation District is a California special district that helps foothill landowners with watershed, fire and range stewardship; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Calaveras County.
CA - Coachella Valley Resource Conservation District
Coachella Valley Resource Conservation District is a California special district that focuses on desert farmland, dates and water use in the Coachella Valley; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Riverside County.
CA - Coarsegold Resource Conservation District
Coarsegold Resource Conservation District is a California special district that serves the oak-woodland foothills of eastern Madera County; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Madera County.
CA - Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District
Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District is a California special district that assists coastal ranches and vineyards in San Luis Obispo County; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in San Luis Obispo County.
CA - Colusa County Resource Conservation District
Colusa County Resource Conservation District is a California special district that works with rice, orchard and ranch landowners in the Sacramento Valley; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Colusa County.
CA - Contra Costa Resource Conservation District
Contra Costa Resource Conservation District is a California special district that provides conservation help to farms, ranches and open space in the East Bay; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Contra Costa County.
CA - Del Norte Resource Conservation District
Del Norte Resource Conservation District is a California special district that supports north coast dairy, lily and forest landowners; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Del Norte County.
CA - Dixon Resource Conservation District
Dixon Resource Conservation District is a California special district that assists farmers in the Dixon area of the Solano County farm belt; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Solano County.
CA - East Merced Resource Conservation District
East Merced Resource Conservation District is a California special district that serves eastern Merced County foothill ranches and orchards; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Merced County.
CA - East Stanislaus Resource Conservation District
East Stanislaus Resource Conservation District is a California special district that supports farmland and watershed stewardship east of Modesto; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Stanislaus County.
CA - Eastern Kern Resource Conservation District
Eastern Kern Resource Conservation District is a California special district that covers desert and mountain areas of eastern Kern County; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Kern County.
CA - El Dorado County Resource Conservation District
El Dorado County Resource Conservation District is a California special district that assists orchard, vineyard and forest landowners in the Sierra foothills; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in El Dorado County.
CA - Fall River Resource Conservation District
Fall River Resource Conservation District is a California special district that serves ranches and hay meadows in the Fall River Valley; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Shasta County.
CA - Feather River Resource Conservation District
Feather River Resource Conservation District is a California special district that works on watershed restoration and meadow projects in Plumas County; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Plumas County.
CA - Glenn County Resource Conservation District
Glenn County Resource Conservation District is a California special district that supports Sacramento Valley farmers on water, soil and habitat practices; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Glenn County.
CA - Honey Lake Valley Resource Conservation District
Honey Lake Valley Resource Conservation District is a California special district that serves the high-desert ranches near Susanville; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Lassen County.
CA - Humboldt County Resource Conservation District
Humboldt County Resource Conservation District is a California special district that helps coastal ranchers and landowners with erosion and salmon habitat work; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Humboldt County.
CA - Inland Empire Resource Conservation District
Inland Empire Resource Conservation District is a California special district that serves the Inland Empire area in western San Bernardino County; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in San Bernardino County.
CA - Inyo-Mono Resource Conservation District
Inyo-Mono Resource Conservation District is a California special district that covers the Eastern Sierra, including Owens Valley ranches; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Inyo County.
CA - Inyo-Mono Resource Conservation District
Regional conservation district serving the Eastern Sierra counties of Inyo and Mono, working on water, fire and working-lands projects.
CA Website - Lake County Resource Conservation District
Lake County Resource Conservation District is a California special district that supports vineyard, pear orchard and Clear Lake watershed landowners; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Lake County.
CA - Lava Beds-Butte Valley Resource Conservation District
Lava Beds-Butte Valley Resource Conservation District is a California special district that serves the Butte Valley farms and ranches near the Oregon line; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Siskiyou County.
CA - Madera-Chowchilla Resource Conservation District
Madera-Chowchilla Resource Conservation District is a California special district that works with valley-floor farmers around Madera and Chowchilla; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Madera County.
CA - Marin Resource Conservation District
Marin Resource Conservation District is a California special district that helps coastal dairies and ranches with carbon and water projects; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Marin County.
CA - Mariposa County Resource Conservation District
Mariposa County Resource Conservation District is a California special district that assists foothill ranchers around Mariposa; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Mariposa County.
CA - Mendocino County Resource Conservation District
Mendocino County Resource Conservation District is a California special district that supports vineyard, ranch and watershed landowners from Ukiah to the coast; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Mendocino County.
CA - Modoc Resource Conservation District
Modoc Resource Conservation District is a California special district that serves cattle ranches and irrigated hay land in northeastern California; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Modoc County.
CA - Mojave Desert Resource Conservation District
Mojave Desert Resource Conservation District is a California special district that covers desert landowners in the high Mojave; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in San Bernardino County.
CA - Mono County Resource Conservation District
Mono County Resource Conservation District is a California special district that focuses on meadows, sage-grouse country and ranches east of the Sierra; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Mono County.
CA - Napa County Resource Conservation District
Napa County Resource Conservation District is a California special district that works with Napa Valley vineyards on erosion, water and fish habitat; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Napa County.
CA - Nevada County Resource Conservation District
Nevada County Resource Conservation District is a California special district that supports small farms and forest landowners around Grass Valley; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Nevada County.
CA - Panoche Resource Conservation District
Panoche Resource Conservation District is a California special district that covers west-side Fresno County grazing and cropland; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Fresno County.
CA - Placer County Resource Conservation District
Placer County Resource Conservation District is a California special district that assists Placer ranchers, orchardists and rice farmers; it is part of the state network of resource conservation districts in Placer County.
CA
Plus 22 more. Find yours on your county's page in the California directory.
Guide checked Nov. 11, 2026. Rules and dates change; confirm with the organizer.