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Conservation council anniversary

-- Submitted by Brittany Dyer, Yosemite Sequoia Resource Conservation & Development Council

(Updated: Thursday, March 17, 2011, 4:15 PM)

Yosemite/Sequoia Resource Conservation and Development Council, covering the foothill communities within Madera, Mariposa, Fresno and Tulare counties, celebrated its 10th anniversary last month.

The nonprofit, located in North Fork and authorized by Congress in 2001, focuses on natural resource conservation issues and sustainable economic development within rural communities.

There are 375 Resource Conservation and Development Councils throughout the United States, with 12 in California. The council depends on volunteers and its partner organization, Natural Resource Conservation Services.

This quasi-governmental nonprofit, a sponsored program of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), was established in 2001 after a group of volunteers organized an application for the United States Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service

The council has hosted many conferences and workshops on biomass utilization, agriculture and nature tourism, small business development and disaster preparedness.

Y/S RC&D has assisted many of its partners apply and secure funding for resource conservation and community development projects, assist and obtain nonprofit status, administer fire hazard reduction grants, print educational materials about noxious weed identification, promote water conservation practices, landscaping with native plants and living with wildlife.

The council works with many tribes in the area to establish cultural gardens, create tribal conservation districts and provide free chipping services.

The nonprofit has successfully gained and administered over $1,200,000 in grants and partnered with more than 50 local agencies and organizations throughout the foothills of Fresno, Madera, Mariposa and Tulare Counties.

Partners include the county board of supervisors, fire safe councils, community development councils and resource conservation districts.

Sponsors include tribal governments, environmental and community development organizations, county governments, resource conservation districts, fire safe councils, and federal and state governments, educational institutions and more.

The council awards annual scholarships to graduating high school seniors going into natural resources or community development related programs. The mission of the Y/S RC&D the council is to promote the quality and aesthetic values of our cultural, environmental, and recreational resources by improving the quality of life through diverse sustainable economic development.

Many people directly affected by the council's ongoing programs may not recognize the entity providing these services.

Citizens are encouraged to contact the Yosemite Sequoia Resource Conservation & Development Council to learn about free chipping services to qualified applicants, free fourth and fifth grade disaster preparedness curriculum, annual free recycling services for tires or electronics and other programs.

More information is available at ysrcandd.org, on Facebook, or by calling 559-877-8663.