Pollinators Get a Boost in Santa Barbara Thanks to CDFA Funds

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August 9, 2023 SANTA BARBARA, Calif – Recently, the California Department of Food and Agriculture
(CDFA) awarded a nearly $2 million grant through its Pollinator Habitat Program to the Cachuma Resource
Conservation District and its partners (Community Environmental Council, Santa Barbara Botanical
Garden, and Ventura County Resource Conservation District), to boost pollinator habitat on agricultural
lands along California’s Central Coast.

California produces more than one-third of the nation’s vegetables and two-thirds of the nation’s fruit and
nuts, of which an estimated $11.7 billion are dependent on pollinators. Unfortunately, due to habitat
destruction, pesticides, disease, and climate change, pollinator populations have dramatically declined.
The loss of pollinators in California affects both agricultural and natural ecosystems.

The CDFA Pollinator Habitat Program administers funding to established and experienced organizations
to work directly with farmers and ranchers to install habitat and implement management practices that
support pollinators. The program is aligned with the suite of Climate Smart Agriculture incentive
programs administered by CDFA’s Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation.

“Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties are heavily agricultural communities, producing a diverse array of
crops that compose a significant portion of the region’s GDP,” said Doug Kern, Executive Director of the
Gaviota Coast Conservancy. “These crops rely on healthy pollinator populations to thrive and in recent
years these populations have been steadily declining. This funding will mark a critical step in mitigating
the effects of this decline by directly supporting pollinator habitat installation.”

The program’s primary objective is to support pollinators through provision of floral resources, host
plants and other elements of suitable habitat. Projects funded through the PHP are expected to have
additional benefits to California’s biodiversity and agricultural production. Projects will support
integrated pest management, support beneficial species (beyond pollinators), enhance carbon
sequestration and improve soil health among other co-benefits.

In collaboration with the project partners, the Community Environmental Council is working to identify
eligible farms and ranches in the region, and provide technical assistance. Applications are currently
open for farmers and ranchers who wish to apply for up to $200,000 to plant and maintain pollinator
habitats, such as hedgerows, cover crops or riparian forest buffers. The application is here:
cec.pub/pollinatorapp

“This project aligns with CEC’s broader climate resilience and climate-smart agriculture initiatives that
aim to reverse the compounding effects of climate change, such as extended drought, extreme heat, and
flood,” said Em Johnson, CEC’s Director of Climate Resilience.“To build true community-wide resilience,
CEC is pioneering climate adaptation and resilience efforts that are rooted in equity and catalyzed by
place-based innovation, elevating solutions that are community-led, ready to activate, and intersectional,
supporting a broad range of community needs.”

To learn more about this work, visit www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/php/