The East Bay Regional Park District announced $400,000 in state funds to restore and maintain ponds used by grazing animals that reduce the risk of wildfires.
The money was appropriated as part of a state budget package finalized in early September, the Regional Park District said in a statement this month.
The money will fund the restoration of five ponds that are used by livestock for strategic grazing on some of the 87,000 acres the Regional Park District maintains in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
The Regional Park District has more than 600 grazing ponds, according to the district.
Each pond costs about $75,000 to restore, and the district has the staffing capacity to work on five per year, meaning the grant will fund those efforts for a 12-month period.
The funding was badly needed after the recent cancellation of a federal program that provided money for pond restoration, according to the Regional Park District.
East Bay Regional Park District General Manager Max Korten said the ponds provide multiple benefits for land and water management.
“The co-benefits of wildfire risk reduction, groundwater recharge, endangered species habitat protection, and the support of East Bay ranchers truly makes this a win-win for all,” Korten said in a statement.
The money was allocated in a budget request made by state Sen. Jerry McNerney, D-Stockton, and Assemblymember Lori Wilson, D-Suisun City.
“The East Bay Regional Park District has been a leading partner in protecting habitat unique to the East Bay,” Wilson said in a statement. “Supporting its work, and that of ranchers, to graze parklands provides multiple benefits — wildfire risk reduction, improved water quality, soil health, carbon sequestration, and prevention of wildfires that would lead to immense carbon release and unhealthy air quality.”