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Dear Community,

This year marks Sonoma RCD's 80th anniversary. As we enter this new season, we're reflecting on the incredible network of community members and partners who make our work possible.

For eight decades, we have understood that lasting solutions come from working together. Today, we collaborate with ranchers, farmers, forest managers, Tribal partners, scientists, technical specialists, contractors, educators, and an array of critical community partners to advance conservation outcomes for both nature and our communities. Grounded in the best available science and information, we strive to achieve the greatest collective impact across Sonoma County’s watersheds.

Conservation is about the relationship between people and place. Collaboration is at the heart of this work. We cannot achieve what we do without you. Thank you for your partnership and commitment, which help make Sonoma County such a spectacular place to live and work.

With gratitude,

Christine Kuehn

Executive Director

On February 28, 1946, the Santa Rosa Soil Conservation District was established by visionary farmers and ranchers in Sonoma County who were deeply committed to natural resource conservation and land stewardship. Now, 80 years later, the Sonoma Resource Conservation District continues to empower people to responsibly steward the land, water, and biodiversity that make this county remarkable. With our district covering more than 850,000 acres, we work to advance landscape-scale conservation and guide the long-term resilience of both natural resources and our communities.

As we celebrate our 80th Anniversary, we look back on our history, the evolution of our work over the decades, and the goals that guide us forward.

From the Dust Bowl to today's changing climate, the Sonoma RCD has remained committed to adaptability and meaningful, on-the-ground impact working in collaboration with watershed groups, non-profits, fire and water districts, state and federal agencies, Tribes, and the many individual landowners and managers who steward our local landscapes.

Partners in Service

Resource Conservation Districts share a special connection with our federal conservation partners. In 2025, the nation marked the 90th anniversary of the Soil Conservation Service, a federal agency born out of crisis. In 1935, as the Dust Bowl swept across the country, Congress established the Soil Conservation Service, which is known today as the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to fight the rapid depletion of soil and moisture on farmlands, rangelands, and forests. Its mission was simply to protect the soil we rely on to grow food, store water, and support our communities.

Although the anniversary passed quietly, its legacy lives on in rural landscapes across the U.S and here in Sonoma County. NRCS has played a vital role in helping landowners and managers recover after environmental disasters, adopt conservation practices, and steward land through science-based, practical support.

The creation of the NRCS also laid the foundation for RCDs, including two serving over one million acres in Sonoma County: Sonoma RCD and Gold Ridge RCD. These local, non-regulatory special districts of the State of California were established to carry forward the vision of sustainable land use. Today, nearly 100 RCDs operate throughout California, working directly with land managers to prevent erosion, conserve water, improve soil health, forest health, protect biodiversity, and restore wildlife habitat. We continue to adapt and grow to serve all of our community members.

As we recognize these anniversaries and the progress made since the Soil Conservation Service was founded, we are reminded of and inspired by the foundations of that growth: our durable partnerships and a shared commitment to the belief that healthy lands and thriving streams are essential to a resilient future.



Looking ahead, Sonoma RCD is proud to share our Strategic Plan. This plan will guide our work through 2030, thanks to the input of many of you. Success is not possible without our partners and supporters. While we continue to celebrate our 80th Anniversary throughout 2026, we invite you to stay tuned for ways to get involved and join us in celebration.

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