About Us

Our Organizational Purpose

Lake County Resource Conservation District (LCRCD) is dedicated to the locally led, community-driven conservation and restoration of Lake County’s natural and working lands.

We draw on the strengths of our people and our landscapes to address natural resource concerns and support our local economy.

Our Goals

  • Strong cooperation and partnership with Tribes, public agencies, non-profit organizations, and other entities
  • Healthy, resilient forests throughout Lake County
  • Ecological resilience and financial viability for Lake County's farms and ranches
  • Healthy watersheds that support wildlife and communities
  • Deeper community connection to the unique ecology of Lake County
group of people

LCRCD was formed with the consolidation of the East and West Lake Resource Conservation Districts in 2016, LCRCD has offered a variety of programs focused on watershed and forest health. Since 2022, we’ve made exciting new investments in staffing and programs to bring in more funding, expertise, and on-the-ground work to advance conservation and restoration across Lake County.

What is a Resource Conservation District?

Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) are local government entities that are non-regulatory special districts of the State of California. Although they often operate within county boundaries, RCDs are independent of county government and were formed by the community to meet specific natural resource needs.

RCDs are grassroots conservation organizations governed by boards of directors. These directors are local residents who are intimately familiar with the RCD jurisdiction and often have deep knowledge of the environment and needs of the community. RCDs’ unique structure allows them to nimbly address local priorities while partnering directly with other government agencies to access funding and increase impact. RCDs can be found across the country and are known in other states as Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Land Conservation Departments, Soil Conservation Districts, or just Conservation Districts.

RCDs are subject to transparency and accountability laws that require public meetings, open records, annual audits, and public financial reports. See our Resources page for more information.