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Resource Conservation Districts have had a presence in Santa Cruz County since 1941, when the Pajaro RCD was formed in South County. Later, in 1949, the Redwood RCD was formed to serve the central portion of the County. As the County began to grow in population and development began to encroach on more mountainous and sensitive land, the need arose to address the resource issues beyond the boundaries of the two districts. In 1978, the Directors of the Districts petitioned the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) to extend the District boundaries countywide, excluding the territories of the four incorporated cities. This new District was named the Santa Cruz County Resource Conservation District (now the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County, or RCD) with a service area of over 260,000 acres. The City of Capitola was subsequently annexed to the District in 1983, at the request of the City of Capitola.
Because a major portion of the County is in steep terrain with unstable geology and high precipitation, there is the constant threat of landsliding, erosion and sedimentation. The RCD has an innovative program that gives conservation assistance to road associations, livestock owners, timberland owners, environmental organizations, governmental resource agencies, and the general public through conferences, workshops, and demonstrations. Especially in times of storm, fire, or earthquake, the District has quickly responded to the public's need for emergency informational assistance.
A more recent endeavor of the RCD has been to assist various watershed groups in their dissemination of conservation information, and in their implementation of resource enhancement projects on the ground. This type of conservation assistance is very efficient with the RCD’s limited budget. We are able to help a large group of people at a time, and get immediate response from the public as to the effectiveness of our services.
With a growing program, the RCD has always been aware of the need to seek a diverse source of funding for its programs and staffing. Initially, the RCD relied heavily on property taxes and the USDA Soil Conservation Service (now the Natural Resources Conservation Service). With the passage of Proposition 13 in California and the federal government’s cutback in services to RCDs, we have also sought and received funding from other sources. Public and private competitive grants now make up a large portion of our funding. The RCD has been successful in receiving these grants because we have addressed timely resource conservation issues that have met public need while collaborating with other resource agencies and public interest organizations. For more information on our current programs and services, please visit the PROGRAMS section of our web site or call our offices at 831.464.2950.
Santa Cruz County Agriculture and Land Use -- Past to Present
Santa Cruz County was first explored in 1769 by an expedition led by Don Gaspar de Portola. Father Crespi, a member of the expedition, was the first to discover the redwoods in the hills above the area that was to become Watsonville. The first settlers came with the founding of the Santa Cruz Mission in September 1791.
Farming was first practiced near the Mission. Wheat, corn, and barley were the principal crops. Surrounding the Mission was a ten-acre fruit orchard consisting mainly of pear and olive trees and a few grapevines. Raising livestock was also important. By 1800 the Mission was exporting breadstuff, hemp, cordage, hides, and tallow.
In 1820 Don Antonia Maria Castro requested the first land grant from the King of Spain. When Mexico gained its independence from Spain, all subsequent land grants were Mexican. The early-established ranchos were devoted almost exclusively to livestock grazing.
The United States acquired California in 1846. The County of Santa Cruz was organized in 1850, and Santa Cruz became the county seat. The population at that time was 643. Most residents lived in and about the Mission at Santa Cruz. By 1940 the population of Santa Cruz County had risen to 45,057; in 1978, 171,000; in 1983, 200,000; and in 1990, 229,734 (U.S. Census Bureau, 1990).
Logging began in 1832 with Amesti's Whipsaw Mill on Corralitos Creek. Numerous new mills were built and by the turn of the century nearly all of the readily accessible timber had been harvested. Over the next +/- 50 years, most of the remainder of the County too had been timbered.
In 1851 the first farmers settled in the Pajaro Valley. In tracing the history of farming in the Pajaro Valley, the major crops first changed from potatoes, grains and prunes to plums, apples, livestock and hops. The first commercial apple orchard was planted in 1858. By 1980 apples, strawberries, and a variety of row and specialty crops contributed more than $110 million to the local farm economy. In 1996 agricultural production was up to $247 million; the top five crops by value were strawberries ($83.5 million), head lettuce ($23.9 million), landscape plants ($21.6 million), raspberries ($20.3 million), and timber ($11.5 million).