California Ricelands Waterbird Foundation

ENHANCE THE ECOLOGICAL VALUE OF CALIFORNIA RICE FIELDS TO HELP SUSTAIN THE MILLIONS OF WATERBIRDS AND OTHER WILDLIFE IN THE PACIFIC FLYWAY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

THE FOUNDATION SPENT MUCH OF 2020 PREPARING TO ROLL-OUT THE FOUNDATIONS NEW SIGNATURE PROGRAM CALLED BID4BIRDS. PATTERNED AFTER YEARS OF SUCCESS PILOTING AND FUNDING THESE CONCEPTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, THE FOUNDATION WILL NOW DIRECTLY ADMINISTER ITS OWN CONSERVATION CONTRACTS WITH GROWERS. WE UNDERTOOK SIGNIFICANT WORK TO COMPLETELY REVISE OUR BROCHURE AND RE-TOOL OUR WEBSITE (CALRICEWATERBIRDS.ORG) IN ORDER TO DIRECTLY SOLICIT AND RECEIVE PROJECT APPLICATIONS. WE BEGAN ENROLLMENT IN DECEMBER AND HAD APPROXIMATELY 2,500 ACRES OF VALUABLE WATERBIRD PROJECTS IN PLACE IN FEBRUARY 2020.COORDINATING WITH THE CALIFORNIA RICE COMMISSION (COMMISSION), WE ALSO LEVERAGED CONTRIBUTIONS AS MATCHING FUNDS TO RECEIVE A MAJOR $1.5 MILLION GRANT FROM USDAS NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE TO ACCELERATE CONSERVATION INVESTMENTS IN THE FOUNDATION. WE WILL UNDERTAKE A MAJOR STRATEGIC FUNDRAISING EFFORT TO PURSUE ADDITIONAL CORPORATE AND FOUNDATION DONORS WITH THE GOAL OF FUNDING 10,000 ACRES OF BID4BIRDS PROJECTS THROUGH THE FOUNDATION BY 2022. THIS IS A VERY EXCITING DEVELOPMENT AND YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS WERE CRITICAL IN PROVIDING THE NECESSARY MATCHING FUNDS TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPETE FOR THIS GRANT.THE FOUNDATION ALSO CONTINUED ITS FUNDING OF THE CALIFORNIA RICELANDS SALMON PROJECT BY HELPING TO FUND MULTI-YEAR EFFORTS TO TEST AND REFINE METHODS TO SOMEDAY BE ABLE TO RAISE YOUNG SALMON IN WINTER-FLOODED RICE FIELDS AND HELP IN THE RECOVERY OF THESE STRUGGLING SALMON RUNS.NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE CURRENT YEAR:SHALLOW FLOODED SHOREBIRD HABITAT IS IMPORTANT EVERY FALL IN THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY, HOWEVER, THE VALUE OF EVERY ACRE WAS DRAMATICALLY INCREASED THIS YEAR DUE TO THE SIGNIFICANT DROUGHT CONDITIONS IN CALIFORNIA AND THROUGHOUT THE PACIFIC FLYWAY. THANKS TO THE SUPPORT OF OUR DONORS AND THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, WE WERE ABLE TO CREATE JUST OVER 4,700 ACRES OF CRITICAL SHOREBIRD HABITAT THIS SEASON! THE HABITAT WINDOW FOR THIS PAST FALL STARTED IN EARLY-AUGUST AND SOME OF OUR PROJECTS CONTINUED TO PROVIDE HABITAT UNTIL THE END OF OCTOBER. THIS HABITAT WAS CREATED USING OUR SIGNATURE BID4BIRDS HABITAT PROGRAM. THIS INNOVATIVE HABITAT ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM FOCUSES ON CREATING CRITICAL SHOREBIRD HABITAT AT THE PRECISE TIME PERIODS WHEN HABITAT IS THE MOST SCARCE. THIS SPECIAL TARGETING OF HABITAT INVESTMENT, PRECISELY WHERE AND WHEN ITS MOST NEEDED, PROVIDES COST-EFFICIENCIES BY SPENDING OUR DONOR FUNDS WITHIN THE EXACT WEEKS/MONTHS THAT ARE MOST CRITICAL. GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE MOST VALUABLE PERIODS ARE LATE-WINTER INTO SPRING AND EARLY-FALL. THE PROJECT SELECTIONS ARE ALSO DONE BY A COMPETITIVE REVERSE AUCTION BIDDING PROCESS, SO WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT OUR PROJECTS ARE COST EFFECTIVE. DESPITE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES, WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH RICE FARMERS THROUGHOUT THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY AND PROVIDE MIGRATORY BIRD HABITAT. AS EXPECTED, THE BIRDS RESPONDED IN GREAT NUMBERS. THE FOUNDATION ALSO CONTINUED ITS FUNDING OF PHASE II OF THE CRC INNOVATIVE CALIFORNIA RICELANDS SALMON PROJECT BY HELPING FUND MULTI-YEAR EFFORTS TO TEST AND REINE METHODS TO SOMEDAY RAISE YOUNG SALMON IN WINTER-FLOODED RICE FIELDS.