Goals & Needs

​​

The Western Shasta Resource Conservation District (WSRCD) is a special district of the State of California and is funded entirely by grants and contracts. The District encompasses approximately 1.7 million acres bounded on the east by the watershed divide between eastern and western Shasta County; the north by the Siskiyou County line; the west by the Trinity County line; and the south by the Tehama County line. The WSRCD was formed in 1957. Since then, the RCD has grown from a small volunteer organization to a highly successful conservation district that is dedicated to the restoration and preservation of western Shasta County's natural resources. The WSRCD GrizzlyCorps Fellow will work on a variety of projects related to expanding and enhancing forest health and wildfire resiliency in western Shasta County. Daily tasks can include community outreach, project planning, project implementation, training opportunities, partner networking, and general interactions with WSRCD Staff with a wide array of backgrounds in natural resource management. The Regional Forest and Fire Capacity program aims to increase regional capacity to prioritize, develop, and implement projects to improve forest health and fire resilience and increase carbon sequestration in forests throughout California. The communities in Shasta County are on the front lines of climate change and have seen an intense acceleration of the effects of climate change over the past decade through extreme wildfires and drought. Shasta County boasts both densely forested landscapes as well as a robust agricultural community due to the majority of the County being part of the headwaters of the Sacramento River Watershed. To meet the goals of the GrizzlyCorps Fellows Program, our member will work in conjunction with local, state, and federal agencies, forest and industry groups, and NGOs to expand the use of techniques to reduce fire risk and improve watershed and soil health (and increase carbon uptake with broader benefits) in western Shasta County.

​

​

​

Capacity Building Projects

​

• Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program: The Regional Forest and Fire Capacity (RFFC) program aims to increase regional capacity to prioritize, develop, and implement projects to improve forest health and fire resilience and increase carbon sequestration in forests throughout California. Broad and inclusive outreach and involvement in decision-making is a priority of the program. Regional block grantees are expected to partner extensively across their region to identify priorities and develop projects. Current block grantees partner heavily with state, federal, tribal, and local governments as well as water agencies, resource conservation districts, fire-safe councils, and other nonprofits. 

​

• Beginning in late 2021, the WSRCD partnered with the RCD of Tehama County, the Glenn County RCD, and the Shasta Valley RCD to create a new RFFC region funded by the DOC RFFC Program called the Northern Sacramento Valley Coalition (NSVC). The WSRCD GrizzlyCorps Fellow will play a key role in the development of the NSVC as the Community Liaison in order to coordinate and facilitate a wide array of community education & outreach activities. Additionally, the Community Liaison will help to expand and enhance regional partnerships with local, state, federal and tribal entities in order to plan and prioritize forest health and wildfire resiliency projects.

​

• The Community Liaison will aid other WSRCD Staff and regional partners in the development of innovative and diverse projects and planning efforts in order to increase the pace and scale of forest health and fuels management projects as part of a regional effort to address the effects of climate change. As part of the WSRCD RFFC Project Team, the GrizzlyCorps Fellow will help increase not only the WSRCD’s capacity to address wildfire and climate resiliency in Shasta County, but will also help to develop the regional capacity to strengthen and expand resiliency efforts across a broad landscape in northern California.

​

• Community outreach efforts can include fuels mapping, social media engagement, development of website content including climate resiliency resources, partnership coordination and enhancement (such as working with the Shasta County Fire Safe Council), forest health workshops for small landowners, community chipping days, and any other activities that work towards building regional capacity to address climate change issues in northern California, specifically drought and wildfires. All of these efforts will build the capacity of the WSRCD and the NSVC through empowering communities throughout the region to engage in developing and implementing their own resiliency goals. 

​

• The Community Liaison for the RFFC Program is a new position created for the WSRCD based on the regional goals for the NSVC. Due to the scope and scale of the RFFC region, the WSRCD needed to increase capacity to engage with partners and the public. The GrizzlyCorps Fellow for 22-23 will coordinate new opportunities to communicate about the efforts of the NSVC with a wide array of stakeholders in order to advance the mission of the RFFC.

​

• As part of this effort, the Community Liaison will aid in the development of a Regional Priority Plan (RPP) which is a requirement of the RFFC program. The RPP for the NSVC must include the following elements: an analysis of the social and biophysical geography of the region; an outline of the programs, policies, and other efforts to coordinate work in the region (governance structure); a methodology for how projects are identified and prioritized; and a mechanism to capture the state of project development, the scope, quality, and quantity of projects. The RPP will guide the activities of the NSVC for many years to come. 

​

Organizational & Community Highlights

​

The Western Shasta RCD (WSRCD) is a team of natural resource professionals that work together to conserve and protect the natural resources of western Shasta County. Our staff consists of professionals with backgrounds ranging from forestry to biology to botany. WSRCD Team members have experience in planning and implementing a wide variety of projects including wildfire rehabilitation, erosion control, floodplain revegetation, fish passage, invasive species removal, and sediment reduction.

The WSRCD headquarters is located in Anderson, CA adjacent to the population center of Shasta County—the City of Redding. The Sacramento River Trail, which crosses the world-famous Sundial Bridge in the heart of Redding, and the Sacramento River Rail Trail, which extends north all the way to Shasta Dam, have both been designated as National Recreation Trails in the National Trail System and together make up the Sacramento River National Recreation Trail. The winding trail is popular with locals and visitors alike who want to take a casual stroll, a beautiful bike ride, or a long run. Parks, bathrooms, trailheads, and scenery along the trail make it a convenient and pleasant way to get some fresh air while enjoying Redding's famous river. This trail is the crown jewel of Redding's trail system, spanning more than 17.4 miles from the Sundial Bridge to Shasta Dam.
 

Redding is the gateway to the Shasta-Cascade Region of Northern California which is a marvel of outdoor recreation. The Shasta-Cascade Region offers an abundance of prime backpacking and hiking areas. The eight National Forests and numerous wilderness areas in the Shasta-Cascade Region all offer fantastic trails. The public’s access to state and national parks, national forests, and other public lands in America’s west is unprecedented. In the Shasta-Cascade region, vast areas of public lands are easily enjoyed and offer some of California’s greatest treasures. The region is known for its wild and scenic rivers, three major lakes offering the best house boating in the world, and thousands of miles of open space, providing great opportunities for hiking, rafting, kayaking, fishing, camping, or just getting away from the crowd. The Shasta-Cascade also boasts scenic drives through various landscapes, with access to some of the region’s most significant attractions. From the unique volcanic features of Lassen Volcanic National Park to Lava Beds National Monument, and on to magnificent Mt. Shasta, these drives showcase the public lands’ grandeur and are often just a few hours away.

​

explore region