Community Corner

Celebrating 50 Years of Conservation in the Santa Monicas

The Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains celebrates a milestone on Sunday.

The Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains celebrated its 50th anniversary Sunday with a special gathering at Peter Strauss Ranch in Agoura Hills on Sunday.

Attendees—including State Sen. Fran Pavley, former Calabasas mayor Dennis Washburn and state conservationist Ed Burton—enjoyed a variety of activity tables, where they learned about watershed conservation. They also listened to a presentation by Rosi Dagit, senior conservation biologist.

California’s RCDs were created in the 1930s as an effort by the federal government to save soil. Today, they "promote and provide conservation education, to conduct research, and to advise and assist other public agencies and private individuals in the areas of land-use planning, soil and water conservation, wildlife habitat enhancement,” according to the RCD of the Santa Monica Mountains’ website.

Find out what's happening in Agoura Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“A lot of what we do is try and protect those native critters,” said Melina Watts, who works for the RCD of the Santa Monica Mountains as the Malibu Creek Watershed coordinator.

In addition, the local RCD district provides environmental education to
over 5,000 students a year in the classroom and at sites around the Santa
Monica Mountains, said Operations Manager John Hendra.

Find out what's happening in Agoura Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The RCD of the Santa Monica Mountains includes a five-member board of directors and staff scientists, who conduct research and implement programs to improve the area such as monitoring oak trees and removing wrecked cars. It has no regulatory powers and is probited from advocating for causes.

"We have to be invited in," said Clark Stevens, executive officer of the RCD of the Santa Monica Mountains. "So we have to be pretty appealing."

There are 60 conservation districts throughout California.

"We're scientists, but we're not academic," said Clark Stevens. "The community has a voice with the agencies instead of just being people who care."

Former President Ronald Reagan held his first public position as one of the founders of the Topanga Soil Conservation District, which later became the RCD of the Santa Monica Mountains.

The RCD holds public meetings on the fourth Monday of every month at the Peter Strauss Ranch at 6:30 p.m.


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