Supes support HLVRCD’s attempt at Urban Agriculture Conservation Grant
The Lassen County Board of Supervisors offered its support of the Honey Lake Valley Resource Conservation District’s application for the NACD Urban Agriculture Conservation Grant.
During the Jan. 26 meeting, the board unanimously approved a letter supporting the attempt at the grant, titled “Conservation education and management of Native and introduced urban agricultural plants in the Northern Great Basin;” however, board Chairman Aaron Albaugh inquired how the agriculture grant would serve the Lassen County.
Andrea Stuemky, Honey Lake Valley RCD district manager, shared what the district aims to do if the grant is awarded.
“The National Association of Conservation District has a grant program for urban agriculture conservation. That could include starting community gardens, that could include orchards, food bank health, all sorts of things,” said Stuemky during the Tuesday meeting.
Stuemky noted there was an area of abandoned fruit trees she was hoping to using for the grant to help feed people, and other potential projects include demonstration orchard to inform people on how to take care of the trees, and an ingenious plant garden for the Susanville Indian Rancheria.
According to the staff report, the “Honey Lake Valley RCD is in the process of applying for grant funding under the NACD Urban Agriculture Conservation Grant. This grant opportunity would provide HLVRCD with funding to provide ‘Conservation education and management of Native and introduced urban agricultural plants in the Northern Great Basin.’ Through the creation of free workshops, educational materials, and local partnerships, community members will learn about the indigenous foods and medicinal plants native to the Susanville/Northern Great Basin area, and build community awareness to the urban agriculture that this area has the potential to support.
“This Lassen County area partnership project will bring awareness to culturally significant native plants and help to increase food sovereignty through education and management of introduced heritage varieties of producing fruit trees and shrubs.”
The supervisors unanimously approved the letter in support of Honey Lake Valley RCD’s proposal to the Urban Agriculture Conservation Grant.
