Commit to delivering better and more efficient conservation services to California’s agriculture stewards
The Agriculture leaders in California formally committed to an innovative new strategy to deliver conservation services to California’s farmers, ranchers, and non-industrial forestland owners. By signing the Memorandum of Agreement, the leaders put pen to paper to take the monumental step of delivering better and more efficient conservation services to California’s agriculture stewards.
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service State Conservationist Carlos Suarez, California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross, University of California’s Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources Glenda Humiston, and President of the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts Don Butz were the signatories on this formal commitment for a day new in agriculture conservation.
“I am proud of our achievement today for California’s agricultural stewards,” said Suarez. “This agreement is our recommitment to delivering comprehensive technical assistance to our customers. We now can provide that set of keys to our customers to open all the doors and services the four of us have to offer at the same time.”
Together, hundreds of millions of dollars are invested annually into helping agriculture stewards address hundreds of conservation activities throughout the State. But that investment starts with the leg work of analyzing and strategizing the conservation activities on a property-by-property basis. This new innovative strategy will modernize these activities for a new generation of California agriculture.
“We’ve always worked with our partners at UCANR, NRCS, and CARCD, but this agreement is a commitment to work together in very specific ways so that we can provide robust, streamlined services and begin to fill gaps and work together to tackle the challenge that is climate change,” said Ross.
“This agreement will not only enhance our delivery of technical assistance, it offers a greatly expanded feedback loop to prioritize and expedite our UC research to ensure continuous improvement of practices, technologies and solutions needed by California’s specialty crops and diverse ecosystems,” added Humiston.
“With the climate crisis in front of us and the important role natural and working land play in fighting climate change, it is important that we take our technical service to a higher level,” concluded Butz. “This agreement will bring tools and resources to the RCDs to be better able to provide high quality services to the farmers, ranchers and communities we serve. This is a great day for farmers and ranchers in California.”
The official Memorandum of Agreement can be found here.
NRCS has provided leadership in a partnership effort to help America’s private landowners and managers conserve their soil, water, and other natural resources since 1935.
Source: Morning Ag Clips