Livestock & Land Program

The El Dorado County & Georgetown Divide Resource Conservation Districts have partnered with Ecology Action to develop the Livestock & Land Program within El Dorado County largely to address the challenges of keeping large animals on small acreages. Aseducation and outreach are the preferred methods to address soil conservation issues, the Livestock & Land program is a non-regulatory, voluntary program aimed at developing Conservation Plans for enrolled properties. 

Present Conditions: El Dorado County has historically depended on the timber and agriculture sectors for its economic vitality. However, since 1990, El Dorado County has experienced a population increase of 183% as a result of a desire for a higher quality of life and the convenience of the Sacramento urban center. Due to increasing residential development from typically urban transplants, the County is facing the loss of agricultural lands and rangelands to small one- to five-acre ranchettes. These urban landowners often do not have the skills or experience to properly steward their lands or livestock, and resource damage and neighbor conflicts have escalated.

El Dorado County is in the process of drafting a Large Animal Ordinance to address the rising number of complaints regarding the keeping of animals on small acreages. These complaints typically involve erosion control problems, air quality, nusiance, drainage management, manure management, and/or animal health issues. The Livestock & Land Program is designed to address these issues in a non-regulatory manner, providing education and site support to landowners.
 

Program Objectives: The Livestock & Land Program is designed to address:

• watershed protection through landowner stewardship of the watershed via watershed conservation strategies,

  • noxious weed control and vegetation management,

  • reduction in soil erosion and sedimentation of water courses resulting from poor land and manure management practices, and

  • education and outreach materials which will facilitate community involvement and provide a framework to better understand the state of water quality issues within their watershed.

   

  Program Partners

   

  Ecology Action

  "Achieving community and environmental excellence through partnership and innovation since Earth Day 1970"

  

  Ecology Action is a nonprofit environmental consultancy delivering cutting edge education services, technical assistance, and program implementation for initiatives that assist individuals, business and government to maximize environmental quality and community well being.
  Since 1970 Ecology Action has combined municipal, foundation, and private funding to establish cutting-edge conservation programs, prove their effectiveness financially and operationally, and establish each program as a permanent community resource.
  

  Ecology Action continually seek innovative ways to instill environmental awareness, promote pragmatic change, and create opportunities for individuals,businesses, and community agencies to save money, create jobs, and contribute to a sustainable local economy.  For more information on Ecology Action and our programs, visit www.ecoact.org.

   

  Program Workshops

  May 17, 2008

  Flyer

  Agenda

  Poster

   

  Presentation Materials, provided to you by Horses for Clean Water and the Santa Cruz Resource Conservation District.

   

  May 17, 2008

  Horse Keeping Powerpoint

  Horse Workshop Inventory

  Site Layout and Facilities Design

  Paddocks and Pasture

  Manure Management

   

  

   

   

  Additional Resource Links

   

  Council of Bay Area Resource Conservation Districts

  Horse Owners Guide to Clean Water [brochure]

  Horse Keeping: A Guide to Land Management for Clean Water [manual]

  Horse Manure Management: A Guide for Bay Area Horse Keepers [booklet]

  

   

   

  El Dorado County References:

  RESOLUTION NO . 048-2007 OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF EL DORADO TO DESIGNATE THE ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COUNTY GRADING, EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL ORDINANCE (Chapter 15.14 of the County Code).

   

  Conservation Planning and Technical Assistance can be provided by simply scheduling a site visit with a conservation planner. Please contact the RCD office at 530-295-5630.