Department of Conservation

The Department of Conservation has programs that affect land use and in turn, water. The Department's Cal GEM division provides oversight of California's oil and gas industries.

The Department of Conservation's Land Resource Conservation Division has programs that affect land use and, in turn, water, such as the Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP) which is aimed at repurposing farmland being retired due to SGMA, and the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program which funds grants for creating fire adapted communities and landscapes by improving ecosystem health, community wildfire preparedness, and fire resilience. 

In 2020, the Department of Conservation funded SGMA watershed coordinators.  The Department also awards grants for riparian restoration planning and implementation projects on agricultural lands, and administers the Williamson Act Program.

The Department's Geologic Energy Management Division (or CalGEM) provides oversight of the oil, natural gas, and geothermal industries.  This includes oil and gas wells, hydraulic fracking, and underground injection.  

Click here for coverage of the Department of Conservation on Maven's Notebook.

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