The Natural Resources Division, originated as a grassroots stream enhancement project. Several
years later, the program continues to implement community driven projects by coordinating with private and public landowners,
and utilizing local contractors and workers via state and federal funding.
Our local waterways and forests are
a crucial part of the delicate ecosystem that provides us with air, food and shelter. By improving stream habitat for salmon,
steelhead and cutthroat trout, and by ensuring the continuity of new forest growth, the program ensures that we will be able
to enjoy the magnificence of nature's bounty in the years to come.
Salmon in the Classroom Program
The salmon and
steelhead classroom incubation program provides Del Norte County youth with hand-on learning experience about the sensitive
life histories and critical habitat requirements of salmon and steelhead trout.
Salmon in the Classroom delivers
live eggs into 4th grade classrooms teaching students in live format the life cycle of salmonid; from the egg to releasing
the hatched fry into local waterways.
This program is in partnership with California Department of Fish &
Game, local Del Norte County schools and the Rowdy Creek Fish Hatchery.
Mill Creek Native Plant Nursery
Funded through partnerships with
Save The Redwoods League, the Wildlife Conservation Board and the Smith River Alliance, Mill Creek Native Plant Nursery
was built to maintain the genetic integrity and diversity of native California plants.
All transplants are from
local populations and a strict genetic Integrity policy is adhered to. Plant materials are collected through local seed collection,
stem cuttings from existing Mill Creek tree stumps, and transplants from roads scheduled for removal.
We work with
Del Norte High School and its Academy of Natural Resources which gives students a hands-on learning experience that targets
watershed restoration and is incorporated into classroom curriculum.
