Yolo County Resource Conservation District

Yolo County Resource Conservation District Yolo County RCD's mission is to protect, improve, and sustain the natural resources of our county. This creates solutions that are long lasting and effective.

STATEWIDE RESULTS, LOCAL ACTION
The 98 RCDs in the State of California help solve California’s pressing statewide issues like climate change, reducing the impact of the drought, protecting clean water, creating habitat
for fish and wildlife, restoring critical habitat for endangered and
threatened species like Coho Salmon, and reducing the risk of wildfire. Utilizing partnerships with tribes, fede

ral, state, and local
agencies, they work citizen to citizen to build better communities, better economies, and a better environment. VOLUNTARY CONSERVATION EQUALS REAL AND LASTING CHANGE
RCDs make conservation happen by creating more informed communities that know how to conserve and preserve natural resources. RCDs pass on critical knowledge and create voluntary stewardship of natural resources through conservation projects, education and technical assistance. Their non-advocacy, nonregulatory position makes RCDs approachable and trusted allowing them to engage in resource issues in an objective, science-based manner. DEPENDABLE BECAUSE WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE
RCDs are trusted stewards of public and private funds. As Special Districts, RCDs are subject to state transparency and accountability laws. The Brown Act and Division 9 of the California Public Resource Code require public meetings, open records, annual audits and financial reporting to the State Controller’s Office. BETTER CONSERVATION COMES FROM A
COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH
RCDs develop comprehensive solutions in partnership with their community, landowners, decision makers, and science. They consider the full breadth of resource issues in their geographic district and think systemically about solutions to the critical problems of the day. REAL AND LASTING CHANGE IS BASED ON
STRONG RELATIONSHIPS
RCDs are governed by locally elected or appointed independent boards of Directors. RCD staff and Directors’ relationships with
their communities makes RCDs trusted and efficient facilitators of conservation outcomes. As Special Districts created under Division 9 of the California Public Resources Code, RCDs are local subdivisions of the state.

The Napa Solano Yolo PBAs hosted the Solano Field Day of the 2026 Firelighter Training in Green Valley in Fairfield on S...
09/02/2026

The Napa Solano Yolo PBAs hosted the Solano Field Day of the 2026 Firelighter Training in Green Valley in Fairfield on Saturday! The Field Day is the hands-on component of the prescribed fire introductory training and consists of three stations:

🔥 Drip Torches and Firing Patterns – assembly and handling of drip torches, firing and ignition patterns, fire intensity, rate of spread
🔥 Hand Tools and Radios – hand tool safety, intro to common tools, cutting line, and proper radio etiquette
🔥 Weather – weather measurement basics, tools, weather reading

In each station, participants learned from local PBA Coordinators about fundamentals to safely and effectively participate in prescribed burning. Thank you to everyone that attended and to Wendy, the landowner, who opened her property to training attendees to build prescribed fire capacity in the region. Next up, the Napa Field Day on Saturday, September 12 which still has open spaces for anyone interested in learning more about prescribed fire! To learn more and to register, visit www.yolorcd.org/firelighter-26

The RCD’s very own Tanya Meyer was a panelist at the CNRA’s Secretary Speaker Series titled Uninvited Guests: Protecting...
08/28/2026

The RCD’s very own Tanya Meyer was a panelist at the CNRA’s Secretary Speaker Series titled Uninvited Guests: Protecting California from Invasive Species on Thursday, August 20. Tanya serves as the Yolo County W**d Management Area Coordinator in addition to her role as Fire Resilience Program Manager. She is also a longtime Board member of the California Invasive Species Council.

From golden mussels clogging waterways to invasive w**ds fueling wildfires and pests threatening agriculture, invasive species pose a growing threat to California. In the webinar, Tanya presented on the power of W**d Management Areas and how the RCD is tackling invasive w**ds throughout Yolo County. Check out the webinar recording below or at the link in our bio.

https://www.youtube.com/live/3ZFiUbYs4Rc



**ds **dcontrol **dmanagement

Despite its name, the tree-of-heaven is no angel! This devilish invader is a deciduous tree native to China and Taiwan t...
08/24/2026

Despite its name, the tree-of-heaven is no angel! This devilish invader is a deciduous tree native to China and Taiwan that grows rapidly from both seed and root sprouts. Tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) forms dense stands that compete aggressively with native vegetation for sunlight, water, nutrients, and space. It also releases compounds into the soil that can inhibit growth or establishment of nearby plants.

To combat tree-of-heaven, the RCD uses targeted drill injection treatment to kill these invaders while protecting surrounding vegetation. Small holes are drilled into the trunk of the tree and herbicide is carefully injected into the stem, as demonstrated by Noah, a CCCs intern working at the RCD, at the Putah Creek Fishing Access. After the herbicide is applied, it is transported through the tree and into the root system to kill the tree and reduce the likelihood of root sprouting.

To learn more about tree-of-heaven, visit our W**d Management Area page: https://yolorcd.org/what-we-do/yolo-county-w**d-management-area/

**ds **dmanagement

Do you mind if we bug you with some animal photos taken around Yolo County? Check out photos taken this summer by RCD st...
08/21/2026

Do you mind if we bug you with some animal photos taken around Yolo County? Check out photos taken this summer by RCD staff of various critters at restoration sites around the county!

1: A sweat bee, a native groundnesting bee found in Yolo County.

2: A monarch butterfly perched on narrow leaf milkw**d.

3: A variegated meadowhawk dragonfly covered in dew. Because dragonflies can’t regulate their internal temperatures, they have to wait for the sun to warm them before they can fly.

4: A monarch caterpillar munching on
narrow leaf milkw**d.

5: An American mink at the Yolo Bypass. American minks are slender and small, resembling ferrets, and have pointed snouts.

6: Common green darner on the stem of a mugwort plant at the Pacific Flyway Pond.

7: A Leafhopper assassin bug (Zelus renardii)

8:A garter snake feeding on its prey!

One Week Away to the Firelighter Training information session- Register Now! The Napa-Solano-Yolo PBAs are hosting a Fir...
08/20/2026

One Week Away to the Firelighter Training information session- Register Now! The Napa-Solano-Yolo PBAs are hosting a Firelighter Training Series that kicks off on Thursday, August 27, 2026 with an information session via Zoom from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm.

The Firelighter Training Series provides attendees with the skills necessary to safely and effectively participate in a prescribed burn. This training is for folks with little to no experience with prescribed fire or more experienced practitioners that need a skills refresher. The series consists of two prerecorded sessions, one information session, and one field day (with an option in each county). Next Thursday, please join us for an information session on what to expect during the field day. This is also a time to ask questions and go more indepth on topics presented in the prerecorded sessions.

To register, please visit qrco.de/yosona-26.

Napa County RCD
Solano RCD

We thought it was time for a trim! ✂️ Check out this before, during and after of our *least* favorite “client”: Jubatagr...
08/19/2026

We thought it was time for a trim! ✂️ Check out this before, during and after of our *least* favorite “client”: Jubatagrass! These photos of w**d management work were taken on Sherman Island in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, where the RCD installs and maintains habitat restoration projects and tackles invasive w**d populations thanks to funding from the California Department of Water Resources. RCD staff cut back the blades of a jubatagrass plant to expose the crown for later treatment with herbicide.  

Jubatagrass (Cortaderia jubata) thrives in cool, foggy environments and does not tolerate extreme temperatures or drought – making the Delta a prime growing spot. Jubatagrass is invasive and outcompetes native plants; a single flume can produce 100,000 seeds in a year. This means that one bunch of jubatagrass can produce millions of seed that are easily carried by the wind. Jubatagrass creates a lot of biomass and the excessive buildup of dry leaves and flowering stalks can be an extreme fire hazard.  

Proper management of jubatagrass ensures that native plant populations and wildlife can thrive with less invasive w**d pressure.  
 
**ds **dmanagement

08/14/2026

We are the Cache Creek Watershed Stewardship Group Project a project of the Cache Creek Conservancy. We are working to engage stakeholders that live, work, and recreate in the Cache Creek Watershed to participate in protecting and sustaining this incredible resource through a collaborative and inclusive strategy.

We want to hear your thoughts! Take 10-15 minutes to complete this survey about your connection to the Cache Creek Watershed.

Stay up to date with our work by joining our newsletter. Reply to this post by saying "Newsletter" and we will add you.

The RCD's very own Tanya Meyer will be on a panel of experts at the CNRA's Secretary Speaker Series titled Uninvited Gue...
08/14/2026

The RCD's very own Tanya Meyer will be on a panel of experts at the CNRA's Secretary Speaker Series titled Uninvited Guests: Protecting California from Invasive Species on Thursday, August 20 from noon to 1pm (PDT). Register to attend at the link below!

From golden mussels clogging waterways to invasive w**ds fueling wildfires and pests threatening agriculture, invasive species pose a growing threat across California. Their impacts reach far beyond the environment, affecting water supplies, infrastructure, recreation, agriculture, and native wildlife. Join us to learn why this threat is growing and how California is responding through early detection, prevention, and coordinated management to protect our state in coming years.

Speakers include:
🌱 California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot
🌱 California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross
🌱 Jeff Dukes, Ph.D., Senior Staff Scientist, Carnegie Department Institution for Science
🌱 Kristopher Jones, Ph.D., Assistant Manager, Division of Integrated Science and Engineering, California Department of Water Resources
🌱 Tanya Meyer, W**d Management Area Coordinator, Yolo Resource Conservation District and Yolo County
🌱 Sapna Thottathil, Deputy Director, Sustainable Pest Management, California Department of Pesticide Regulation

https://wildlife.ca.gov/DesktopModules/LiveCampaign/API/Request/ProcessEmail?c=823&l=3074599&ce=436735590

Check out a few photos from the August 2026 Newsletter – out now! In this newsletter, you’ll find:RCD Updates: 🌱 Upcomin...
08/05/2026

Check out a few photos from the August 2026 Newsletter – out now! In this newsletter, you’ll find:

RCD Updates:
🌱 Upcoming Regional PBA Events
🌱 Westside Sac IRWM Annual Report
🌱 Become a SLEWS Mentor
 
Funding Opportunities:
🌱 Keep California Beautiful – Climate Action Events MicroGrants
🌱 Westside Sac IRWM - Small Grants Projects
 
Upcoming Events:
🌱 California Biodiversity Day - September 5-13
🌱 UC Rangeland Soil Health Workshop - September 16
🌱 California Coastal Cleanup Day - September 19
 
Photos:
1: A monarch caterpillar found on milkw**d at a restoration site along Cache Creek.
2: Showy milkw**d flowers in bloom from milkw**d in pollinator plots along Putah Creek.
3: Kenya Oto, Field Manager, and Amanda Farnsworth, Project Manager, walk under an archway of arundo donax during a site visit for the Arundo Eradication Program. Under ideal growing conditions, arundo can reach over 30 feet tall, shading out native plants and creating a monoculture.
4: Heather Nichols, Executive Director, and Tanya Meyer, Fire Resilience Program Manager, participated in Senator Cabaldon’s Wildfire Roundtable on July 23rd along with CALFIRE, Fire Departments, RCDs, Napa Firewise and insurance providers to discuss successes and challenges in Senator Cabaldon’s district.

The Yolo and Solano Prescribed Burn Associations (PBAs) are hosting a PBA Social and Post-Fire Walk and Talk on Saturday...
07/16/2026

The Yolo and Solano Prescribed Burn Associations (PBAs) are hosting a PBA Social and Post-Fire Walk and Talk on Saturday, August 8, 2026 from 10 am to 1 pm at Lake Solano County Park (8685 Pleasants Valley Rd, Winters, CA 95694 Pad B). Join Yolo and Solano PBAs for an informative social event that includes a BBQ potluck and tour of the post-fire restoration at Lake Solano County Park!

In 2020, the LNU Complex Fire burned a large portion of Lake Solano County Park, killing many trees and impacting native habitat. Since 2020, in response to increasing fire activity in the region, the Yolo and Solano Prescribed Burn Associations were formed to empower landowners and volunteers to use beneficial fire as a land stewardship tool.

This event brings together local prescribed burn practitioners and the public to discuss post-fire restoration efforts, how fire is integral to California’s landscapes, and how individuals can use prescribed fire to steward lands.

The event will kick off with a tour of post-fire restoration led by Solano RCD staff where attendees will learn about post-fire recovery, fire-adapted plant species, invasive w**d and fuels management. After the tour, the Yolo and Solano PBAs are hosting a community BBQ potluck, open to anyone interested in learning more and getting involved in implementing prescribed fire in the region. The BBQ is an opportunity to meet local PBA leaders and volunteers and ask questions. Join us to learn about prescribed burning and upcoming events and training opportunities!

To register, visit qrco.de/yoso-social. For questions, please contact the PBA Coordinator for your county: Elizabeth Davis (Solano PBA) - [email protected] or Bailey Adams (Yolo PBA) - [email protected].



Address

221 W Court St Ste 1
Woodland, CA
95695

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+15306611688

Website

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