Resource Renewal Institute

TO STRENGTHEN SOCIETY'S ABILITY TO SECURE THE FUTURE HEALTH OF THE PLANET BY FOSTERING INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS TO INCREASINGLY COMPLEX ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE.

PUBLIC TRUST PROGRAMS DEFENSE OF PLACE FOUNDED BY HUEY JOHNSON IN 1997 ON THE PRINCIPLE THAT DEEDS AND STATUTES ENACTED TO PROTECT PUBLIC LANDS SHOULD BE INVIOLABLE, DEFENSE OF PLACE RETURNED TO ITS "ROOTS" AT THE 2021 PEPPERWOOD PRESERVE SUMMER CELEBRATION WHEN SPEAKERS ACKNOWLEDGED HUEY AND HIS INAUGURAL DEFENSE OF PLACE CAMPAIGN THAT SAVED SONOMA COUNTY'S 3,200-ACRE ECOLOGICAL TREASURE FROM DEVELOPMENT. FROM THAT FIRST VICTORY, DEFENSE OF PLACE EMBARKED ON ITS MISSION TO PROVIDE STRATEGIC AND COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT TO CONSERVATION ACTIVISTS WHO UNITE TO PROTECT PUBLIC LANDS FROM POWERFUL, PREDATORY ENTITIES. DESPITE OFTEN OVERWHELMING ODDS, THESE VOLUNTEERS PERSIST - SOMETIMES FOR YEARS - THROUGH GRUELING CHALLENGES THAT HAVE RESULTED IN VICTORIES, LOSSES AND, IMPORTANTLY, THE NEED FOR PERPETUAL DILIGENCE. DOP HONORS THE FOLLOWING COALITIONS WHOSE AWE-INSPIRING CAMPAIGNS CONTINUE TO PERPETUATE HUEY'S VISION: THE WASHOE MEADOWS COMMUNITY OF SOUTH LAKE TAHOE; THE BALLONA INSTITUTE OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA; THE IONE VALLEY LAND, AIR AND WATER DEFENSE ALLIANCE OF AMADOR COUNTY; THE FRIENDS OF JEAN KLOCK PARK IN BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN; THE FRIENDS OF KNOWLAND PARK IN OAKLAND; THE FRIENDS OF LOWER POINT VICENTE PARK IN RANCHO PALOS VERDES; FRIENDS OF TESLA PARK.RESTORE POINT REYES SEASHORE (RPRS)RRI CONTINUES ITS ROLE AS THE CENTRAL ORGANIZATION INTEGRATING EFFORTS TO DEFEND POINT REYES AGAINST THREATS TO ITS FUTURE. IN 2021 RRI, AND OUR GROWING COALITION OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND CONCERNED CITIZENS, MADE GREAT STRIDES IN ACHIEVING OUR VISION FOR RESTORING THIS ECOLOGICALLY IMPORTANT NATIONAL PARK AND PROVIDING FULL PUBLIC ACCESS TO ALL ITS PARKLANDS. OUR STRATEGIC MIX OF PUBLIC EDUCATION, MEDIA OUTREACH AND GRASSROOTS ACTIVISM - ALONG WITH POLITICAL AND LEGAL ACTION - HAS TRANSFORMED THE DEGRADATION AT POINT REYES FROM A LITTLE-KNOWN ISSUE INTO A MAJOR PUBLIC OUTRAGE. POLICY MAKERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ARE FINALLY LOOKING BEHIND THE BARBED-WIRE FENCES AND SEEING WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON - THE POLITICAL FAVORITISM ENJOYED BY A HANDFUL OF COMMERCIAL CATTLE RANCHERS AT THE EXPENSE OF WILDLIFE, FRAGILE ECOSYSTEMS, INDIGENOUS CULTURAL HERITAGE, AND PUBLIC USE AND ENJOYMENT. FACED WITH A GROUNDSWELL OF OPPOSITION, BOTH THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION (CCC) AND THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE (NPS) POSTPONED DEADLINES IN ORDER TO CONDUCT FURTHER REVIEW. THESE DEFERRALS WERE UNPRECEDENTED IN SEASHORE HISTORY.INSTREAM WATER TRUSTFOR 26 YEARS, RRI WORKED TO PROVE THAT SECURING WATER RIGHTS FOR WILDLIFE COULD REVOLUTIONIZE WATER CONSERVATION AND WILDLIFE HABITAT PROTECTIONS. THE FIRST CRITICAL STEP WAS REWRITING STATE WATER REGULATIONS TO DESIGNATE WATER LEFT IN-STREAM AS "BENEFICIAL USE," LEGALLY PROTECTED AND MONITORED BY A DISTRICT WATER MASTER. MANY OTHERS FOLLOWED, INCLUDING THE PASSAGE OF PROP 68 FOR ENHANCING INSTREAM FLOWS AND WATERSHED RESTORATION. FINALLY, THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, RRI AND FRIENDS OF BUTTE CREEK ARE PARTNERING IN A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND SALE AND PROOF OF CONCEPT OF RRI'S BUTTE CREEK WATER RIGHTS. RRI LOOKS FORWARD TO THE COMPLETED SALE IN 2022 SETTING A PRECEDENT FOR THE ENTIRE NATION AND USHERING IN A NEW ERA OF WATER CONSERVATION.

FORCES OF NATURE: ENVIRONMENTAL ELDERS SPEAK LAUNCHED IN 2013, RRI'S VIDEO INTERVIEW SERIES CURRENTLY SHOWCASES 170 PIONEERING INDIVIDUALS WHOSE LONG CAREERS HAVE MADE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR ENVIRONMENT. A FRESH NEW WEBSITE TO PRESENT OUR GROWING COLLECTION OF PERSONAL STORIES, CASE STUDIES AND GEMS OF WISDOM TO INFORM AND INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATES. 628,069 PEOPLE FROM OVER 147 COUNTRIES HAVE VISITED THE FON WEBSITE SO FAR, WITH HUNDREDS OF LIKES," "SHARES AND "COMMENTS." IN 2021, THE RRI TEAM BEGAN EXPLORING NEW WAYS TO BUILD ON OUR LONGSTANDING VIDEO SERIES OF INTERVIEWS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL PIONEERS BY ADDING MORE DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES TO OUR ALREADY RICH MIX OF ENVIRONMENTAL LESSONS AND WISDOM. WE ARE CURRENTLY EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTERVIEWS WITH, AMONG OTHERS, MANY OF THE REMARKABLE PEOPLE WE HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW THROUGH OUR RESTORE POINT REYES SEASHORE COALITION. THIS DIRECTION WOULD PRODUCE A MULTIPLIER EFFECT-ENHANCING OUR FON ORAL HISTORY ARCHIVE WHILE SUPPORTING THE GOALS OF POINT REYES' INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND OTHER UNDERREPRESENTED CULTURES.

IN 2021, RRI ENGAGED IN SPREADING OUR FIF FISH AND RICE CULTIVATION MODEL IN NEW DIRECTIONS. AS STATE AGENCIES AND REGIONAL PUBLIC-PRIVATE COALITIONS PLAN FOR WORKING LANDSCAPES THAT MEET THE 30X30 GOALS OF CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENCE AND BIODIVERSITY RETENTION, FIF IS WELL-POSITIONED TO PLAY A CENTRAL ROLE. PROGRAM DEVELOPMENTS INCLUDE: 1)RENEWED FIF OUTREACH PROGRAM WITH RICE GROWERS AND FISH FARMERS IN THE SOUTHEAST (CUT SHORT BY THE PANDEMIC) AND EXHIBITING FIF AT THE USA RICE CONFERENCE HELD IN NEW ORLEANS IN DECEMBER. 2) LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR THE LAUNCH OF ITS FIRST GROWTH STUDY WITH NATIVE SACRAMENTO BLACKFISH IN COOPERATION WITH UC DAVIS IN FALL 2022; 3)CONTRIBUTING FIF GOLDEN SHINERS TO SALMON FEED TRIALS IN A GROUNDBREAKING PROJECT TO DEVELOP 100% SUSTAINABLE SALMON AQUACULTURE. THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF CANADA AND DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY REPORTED THAT THE TOP THREE PERFORMING FISH MEAL FORMULAS ALL INCLUDED FIF FISH AND RECOMMENDED THAT FIF BE INCORPORATED INTO THE SECOND ROUND OF FEED TRIALS THAT BEGAN IN AUGUST 2021. RESULTS ARE EXPECTED SPRING, 2022.