Goals & Needs

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The Humboldt County Resource Conservation District (HCRCD) is a special district public agency with the mission to assist private and public landowners in the planning, design, and implementation of soil, water, and forest resource conservation practices to improve and enhance natural and working lands in Humboldt County. The Agricultural Enhancement Program at HCRCD has received funding from multiple sources to plan, design, implement and monitor practices to increase Carbon sequestration, improve soil health, water holding capacity, and climate resilience, and create habitat for pollinators and wildlife.

 

A GrizzlyCorps Fellow can expect work activities to include approximately 70% office work consisting of creating Carbon Farm and Soil Health Management Plans using ArcGIS to create maps and design practice implementation and engaging in outreach and education over social media; and 30%field work, occurring more in drier months, and consists of soil sampling, in field assessments, mapping, equipment and operational inventories, project implementation oversight, and photo monitoring. This work will help our diverse agricultural community adapt to uncertain climatic conditions, aiding in the resiliency and accessibility of local food and creating a cohort of producers committed to sustainable, regenerative farming. A GrizzlyCorps fellow will help increase our capacity to provide assistance to Humboldt County producers and help improve processes that will have lasting effects on our agricultural community. 

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Capacity Building Projects

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Project 1: Carbon Farm and Soil Health Management Planning

The GrizzlyCorps Fellow would work with the Agricultural Enhancement Program to create plans tailored to the goals and resource concerns of Humboldt County producers.  HCRCD typically works with row crop, range, or dairy producers, but other production systems may apply for assistance.

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The Fellow would assist the producers by identifying practices that can address resource concerns, incorporate the goals of their farm, identify opportunities to sequester carbon, improve wildlife and pollinator habitat, increase water holding capacity and climate resilience.  These items will be incorporated into the development of 6-10 Carbon Farm, Soil Health Management, or Soil Health Management System Design Plans. Assistance from the GrizzlyCorps Fellow will increase HCRCD’s capacity to reach more producers and provide more planning assistance.

 

Project 2: Carbon Farm Plan and Pollinator Habitat Implementation and Monitoring

Once Project 1 is complete, producers will be ready to implement the practices identified and designed in their plans. The GrizzlyCorps Fellow would, with mentorship and guidance from other Agricultural Enhancement Program staff, assist the producers with implementation design, oversight, monitoring, and reporting. The Fellow will also assist with budgets, reimbursement, and distribution of funds. Planning outcomes include the successful implementation of 2,000 linear feet of hedgerows, 8 acres of tree establishment or wetland enhancement, 20 acres of pollinator friendly cover crop and 7,000 linear feet of riparian exclusion fencing. HCRCD has experience with planning, but not implementation. A GrizzlyCorps Fellow will help develop an implementation management system, monitoring, and reporting protocols.

 

Project 3: Education and Outreach

A Fellow will assist HCRCD to plan and host two workshops designed to draw attention to opportunities to become more climate resilient and improve pollinator habitat. The Fellow would be responsible for creating flyers, attendee lists and participating in the workshops. Their work will help inspire our ag producers to participate in the program and create a more resilient agricultural community.

 

Project 4: Restoration Field Work

The GrizzlyCorps Fellow may participate or lead a seasonal maintenance crew for coastal restoration projects. It is anticipated the crew will consist of 4 to 5 members. Physical activities could include brush cutting, invasive species removal, taking photo points, perform vegetation surveys, and develop wetlands delineations. Training will be provided for monitoring activities. The Fellow will also draft activity and monitoring reports. 

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Organizational & Community Highlights

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HCRCD has a workplace culture that is uniquely set up for GrizzlyCorps fellows to gain experience through project development and mentorship opportunities. HCRCD has 10 staff members ranging in experience from 1 to 30 years. We have three programs (Agricultural Enhancement, Forest Health and Fire Resilience, and Watershed Restoration) and staff often work between multiple programs to offer support. We try to stay on the cutting edge with our technological abilities. HCRCD currently has ArcGIS Professional Advanced licenses with all ESRI extensions and utilizes the Microsoft Office suite including Word, Excel, OneDrive, Sharepoint, and Power Automation to manage, share and streamline information and processes. We support professional growth of our staff and are committed to providing a working environment supportive of fellow’s professional development. Ag Enhancement Program staff regularly participates in trainings and workshops designed to inform technical assistance and further the advancement of methods and practices regarding sustainable, climate resilient agriculture. HCRCD collaborates with other RCDs through the North Coast Soil Hub which allows for sharing of ideas and providing support from colleagues from beyond our service area.

Humboldt County is a special place to live and work. Our work in the Agricultural Enhancement Program takes us throughout the county to Redwood forests, fish bearing streams, rolling hills of coastal prairie, lush pastures, and small row crops. The culture and communities are as diverse as the landscape. In Arcata, home of Cal Poly Humboldt, you can walk to the Plaza for the farmers market, catch a baseball game, or get food and drink at several restaurants, wineries, cideries and breweries. Ferndale is known for the many Victorian style homes and miles of green pasture and dairy land. Trinidad has views of the California coastline that are right out of postcards. Eureka is the largest city that offers amenities like Costco, WinCo, and Target that allow you to get all the basics. There is no more beautiful place to live and work. 

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