CARCD WCB Climate and Wildlife Project: Monterey County
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Project Overview
Basics
CARCD WCB Climate and Wildlife Project: Monterey County
Implementation
The RCD of Monterey County is conducting several projects to support monarch butterfly and pollinator habitat in Monterey County. We are supporting five small-scale organic farmers with expanding and maintaining pollinator hedgerows. We have formed collaborations in the cities of Marina, Seaside, Salinas, and Gonzales to create pollinator demonstration gardens. In partnership with the City of Pacific Grove and multiple stakeholders, we intend to develop a habitat management plan for the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary and George Washington Park. We are also working to further goals of our regional working group, the Monterey Regional Monarch Alliance.
2023
2023
2027
12/31/2025
Project Attributes
Census Tract Income
True
Direct Benefits to Disadvantaged Communities (DACs)
We are installing pollinator gardens at multiple sites throughout Monterey County:
The Marina Library sits just outside census tract 143.02, which is a Low-income Community (LIC), and serves community members of the City of Marina, the majority of whom live in Disadvantaged Community (DAC) or LIC tracts.
The Johnson-Canyon landfill education center is located in census tract 148, which is a LIC, and serves Gonzales students and residents who live in DACs.
Gonzales Community Garden is in census tract 108.04, a DAC.
Santa Rita Creek Park is located in census tract 156.06, a LIC, and surrounded by low-income communities.
The Monterey Adult School is in census tract 139, a LIC, and serves adult students from surrounding DACs and LICs.
Rancho Cielo in Salinas is an educational campus for at-risk/underserved youth who often come from DACs.
We are working with Historically Underserved farmers to maintain and expand hedgerows on their small farms.
EnviroScreen
Cal EnviroScreen 4.0 percentiles:
Johnson-Canyon Landfill: 64
Santa Rita Creek Park: 61
Marina Library: 47
Monterey Adult School: 38
Rancho Cielo: 46
Gonzales Community Garden: 66
Free and Reduced Lunch
True
Indirect Benefits to Disadvantaged Communities (DACs)
We partner with the Monterey County Cadre workforce development program to bring young adults from low income backgrounds with limited job experience (typically BIPOC) to assist with habitat restoration tasks at multiple project sites, including both on-farm hedgerows and pollinator gardens. Cadre members gain practical knowledge and experience at these sites that will help them in their careers.
Tribal Engagement (True/False)
True
Tribal Engagement
None
Location
Our project areas are in multiple locations throughout Monterey County. This location represents the RCDMC office.
Organizations
| Funders | |
| Lead Implementer | |
| Partners | |
| Primary RCD | |
| Stakeholders | |
| State Assembly Voting Districts | |
| State Senate Voting District | |
| Other Partners | City of Pacific Grove, Monterey Regional Monarch Alliance, Blue Zones, Communities for Sustainable Monterey County, Habitat Stewardship Project Monterey Bay |
Contacts
Performance Measures
Expected Performance Measures
| Agricultural Conservation Practice (ft.) | Conservation Practice: 422 - Hedgerow Planting Operation Type: Diverse Ag Operation | 3,000 lf |
| Special Status Insect Species Habitat | Action Performed: Created Focal Species: Monarch butterfly Listing Status: Federal Candidate | 0.5 acres |
| Special Status Insect Species Habitat | Action Performed: Enhanced Focal Species: Monarch butterfly Listing Status: Federal Candidate | 2.5 acres |
| Underserved Communities (# of projects) | 1 |
Reported Performance Measures
| Agricultural Conservation Practice (ft.) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservation Practice | Operation Type | Total | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | Units |
| 422 - Hedgerow Planting | Diverse Ag Operation | 380 | 210 | 65 | 105 | lf |
| Total | 380 | 210 | 65 | 105 | lf | |
| Plants Installed | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | Units | |
| 2,797 | 1,884 | 863 | 50 | number | |
| Total | 2,797 | 1,884 | 863 | 50 | number |
| Special Status Insect Species Habitat | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Action Performed | Focal Species | Listing Status | Total | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | Units |
| Created | Monarch butterfly | Federal Candidate | 0.87 | 0.74 | 0.13 | 0 | acres |
| Enhanced | Monarch butterfly | Federal Candidate | 0.03 | N/A | 0.01 | 0.02 | acres |
| Total | 0.9 | 0.74 | 0.14 | 0.02 | acres | ||
| Underserved Communities (# of projects) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | Units | |
| 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | number | |
| Total | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | number |
Financials
Budget
| Comment: | None provided |
|---|
Reported Expenditures
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CARCD Climate Habitat Block Grant (WCB) | $43,000.90 | $104,906.45 | $67,066.02 | $0.00 | $214,973.37 |
| Match Funding (Pacific Grove) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Grand Total | $43,000.90 | $104,906.45 | $67,066.02 | $0.00 | $214,973.37 |
| Note: | None provided |
|---|
Project Themes
Project Themes
The native perennial plants established in hedgerows and pollinator gardens under this project will sequester carbon.
We are providing education to the Monterey County Cadre workforce development program for youth aged 18-24 at pollinator garden work days. We are developing a website for the general public about monarch conservation in the Monterey County region.
This project addresses habitat loss by expanding and enhancing monarch, pollinator, and other wildlife habitat on public and private lands through expansion and maintenance of hedgerows on small organic farms and through creation of at least four new pollinator gardens on public land.
This project will support at least six small-scale farms in Monterey County by providing funding for pollinator hedgerow maintenance and expansion.
Project Details
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