Projects

AMADOR RCD PROJECTS

Forest Health Landowner Assistance

The Sacramento/Amador Water Quality Alliance

Photo of workers chipping wood and cleaning up roadside

Chipping Assistance

Photo of a creek or river flowing through a meadow with a forest in the background

Past ARCD Projects

On Farm and Ranch Assistance

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Outreach/Education

HELPING YOU HELP THE LAND

The Amador Resource Conservation District has projects that cover a broad range of natural resource management issues; such as, water quality, tree mortality, environmental education, and agricultural viability in Amador County.

TECHNICAL & FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Did you know that there is financial and technical assistance available for Amador County forest property owners, farmers, and ranchers?
There are several sources of assistance for farmers and ranchers to implement best management practices on their operation. Check out "On Farm Assistance" Page for up-to date information about current assistance.
There are several forms of assistance for forest property owners. Check out our page "Forest Health Assistance" for up-to date information about current assistance.

CHIPPING PROGRAM

The Amador Resource Conservation District (ARCD) is implementing a residential fuels, roadside chipping program to help encourage continued vegetation maintenance in the county.
This chipping program is open to all Amador County residents that first pile vegetative slash along roadsides or driveways, then submit a request for chipping service. Residents along key evacuation routes are especially encouraged to utilize this program. The ARCD will send an industrial chipper and crew to the site to process the roadside slash. The program will provide the community the ability to process vegetative debris, without the potential of fire escaped from burn piles.
All Chipping requests will be served on a first come, first serve basis, with common areas of requests batched together.
For more information visit the 'Chipping Program' Page.

WILDLIFE STRUCTURES PROJECT

Residents of Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne County will be able to apply for a bird and/or bat box that will be installed on an existing structure on their property.
MORE INFORMATION AND SIGN UP FORM COMING SOON.

SOIL HEALTH PROGRAM

AMADOR SOIL HEALTH RESEARCH & EDUCATION
The Amador Soil Health Research & Education Project is a partnership between ARCD, UCCE, and several agricultural producers in Amador County. The project is studying the results of compost application on rangeland; specially looking at the effect of soil health, carbon sequestration, forage production and noxious weeds abatement . In the Fall of 2019 compost was applied to 5 rangeland properties in Amador County and the first year of data is in. Check out the 2020 Annual Report for an update about the project. The ARCD will be hosting several events over the course of the project that will take place out on the range to see the effects of the compost application. Below is a short video about the beginning stages and implementation of the project.

Compost on Annual Rangelands Annual Report 2020

CARBON FARM PLAN DEVELOPMENT

ARCD is currently working with three Amador County residents to develop Carbon Farm Plans on their properties. This program is supported by the California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) Healthy Soils Incentives Program (HSP) and Patagonia. Carbon Farming is all about soil health and utilizing practices that improve productivity of the land while sequestering carbon and improving the environmental benefits of the land.
If you're interested in learning more about developing a Carbon Farm Plan on your property email Molly Taylor SoilHealth@AmadorRCD.org for more information.

Certain commonly used agricultural practices through which photosynthetically derived carbon can be sequestered and stored in the soil. Carbon farming involves implementing practices that are known to improve the rate at which CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and converted to plant material and soil organic matter. Carbon farming is successful when carbon gains resulting from enhanced land management or conservation practices exceed carbon losses.

- Marin Carbon Project

ON FARM TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
There are several sources of assistance for farmers and ranchers to implement best management practices on their operation. Check out "On Farm Assistance" Page for up-to date information about current assistance.

Check out our "Soil Heath" page for more general information.

Photo of a person picking something up in a field

SUPPORTING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

The ARCD provides financial support to projects and students through out Amador County. Below is a list of ways that the ARCD supports projects and people to reach natural resource management goals through education.