Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Soil Health Management Systems for Northern CA

Year Awarded: Fiscal Year 2021

USDA Funding: $6,995,463.00

Partner-Contributed Funding: $11,059,085.00

Project Timeline: 2021-2026

Conservation Program Funded: Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP): Land Management 

California Counties: Butte, Del Norte, Colusa, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo, and Yuba Counties  

Lead Partner: California State University, Chico

Collaborating Partners:

  • California Department of Agriculture (CDFA)

  • Carbon Cycle Institute

  • Fibershed

  • Glenn County Resource Conservation District

  • Humboldt County Resource Conservation District Mendocino County Farm Bureau

  • Modoc County Resource Conservation District

  • Mendocino County Resource Conservation District

  • University of California Cooperative Extension

  • Lassen County Farm Bureau

  • Humboldt County Resource

  • California Association of Resource Conservation Districts

  • Chico State Enterprises (California State University, Chico)

Project Summary

The Soil Health Management Systems RCPP project aims to implement and evaluate Soil Health Management Systems (SHMS) through a regional partnership to achieve conservation benefits in four economically important agro-ecosystems in Northern CA (orchard/vineyard, rangeland, dairy, row cropping). SHMS incorporates practices and management actions that address all soil functions, including nutrient cycling, water infiltration and availability, filtering and buffering, physical stability and support, and habitat for biodiversity.

Project Goals

  • Create multi-resource management strategies through the collaborative development of Conservation Activity Plans and Whole Farm/Ranch Conservation Plans

  • Increase implementation of practices as part of comprehensive SHMS and assess environmental, economic and social impacts of SHMS adoption

Conservation Practices/Activities

  • 327 – Conservation Cover                              
  • 328 – Conservation Crop Rotation                           
  • 329 – Residue & Tillage Mgmt. – No Till      
  • 345 – Residue & Tillage Mgmt. – Reduced Till
  • 484 – Mulching                                                 
  • 449 – Irrigation Water Mgmt.
  • 512 – Forage & Biomass Planting                  
  • 528 – Prescribed Grazing
  • 550 – Range Planting                                       
  • 590 – Nutrient Mgmt.
  • 595 – Pest Mgmt.                                              
  • 610 – Salinity & Sodic Soil Mgmt.


NRCS Contact

Andrea Casey, RCPP Coordinator
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Davis State Office, California
Phone: (530) 304-2124
Email: andrea.casey@usda.gov

 

Back to California RCPP