Government Agencies in
California
Environmental and Resource
Agencies
These agencies have the job of managing and conserving resources, regulating use of resources, and protecting habitats and species. Most of these agencies are excellent sources of information on their particular jurisdiction. Not all agencies are listed here, but following the various links will give access to websites of many other agencies and organizations.
Federal Agencies State Agencies
- EPA's Region 9 includes California. This is the home page for Region 9, and leads to information on programs focusing on air pollution, water pollution, toxics, solid and hazardous wastes, and "Cross-Program" activities, which includes "U.S./Mexico border issues, environmental justice, pollution prevention, brownfields, community-based environmental protection, and Indian programs." All these programs can be accessed from this page, and there are also educational sites and library resources as well.
- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's
mission is to "conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife and plants
and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people." California is
part of the Pacific Region: a great
number of interesting programs and information can be accessed from the Region's home
page. The FWS is the place to go to find out about endangered species and programs to
protect them. To learn about National Wildlife Refuges and other facilities run by the FWS
in the state, go to the page on National
Wildlife Refuges, and click on the Refuge Locator button. - The National Marine Fisheries Service, Southwest Region, focuses on the management and conservation of living marine resources. Their Sustainable Fisheries Division manages and regulates commercial and recreational fisheries, and keeps statistics on fisheries. The Habitat Conservation Division works at conserving "marine, estuarine and anadromous fishery resources and the habitats which support them", through a Southern California Office and several offices in northern California, accessed through the Santa Rosa Office. Both offices have a number of programs: for example, see this report on the Restoration of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Orange County. The Protected Species Program is responsible for endemic and migratory marine mammals, and endangered species. They maintain a list of strandings of marine mammals, and manage species of salmon and trout that migrate between the ocean and rivers, such as the Sacramento River Winter Chinook.
- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a civil role as well as a military one. The Corps is in charge of maintaining navigation in rivers and harbors of the United States (through dredging and other channel maintenance work); providing flood control (the Corps has built and maintained a great number of dams, levees, and other flood control structures); and protecting shorelines from erosion (building structures such as breakwaters, and placing dredged sand on beaches). The Corps also has regulatory authority over the excavation, dredging, or discharge of material into the waters of the United States. The term "waters of the United States" is defined to include wetlands, which gives the Corps wide regulatory authority over wetlands. The South Pacific Division of the Corps of Engineers is the Division which includes California. In addition, there are three District Offices: San Francisco District, Sacramento District, and Los Angeles District. Each of these sites has varying types and amounts of information about their respective programs and projects. For example, see Recognizing Wetlands, Coastal Resources Projects in Southern California, Russian River Ecosystem Restoration Study, and Sacramento District Regulatory Programs, to get an idea of the range of information available.
- The U. S. Geological Survey has a wide variety of programs in the Earth sciences. They perform basic research in geology, biology and other natural sciences, work to understand and reduce loss of life and property from natural disasters, and "manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources". If you are interested in geology, Geologic Information about California is a good starting point. The USGS' Biological Resources Division gives access to a wealth of information; BRD Activities in California focuses on California, with a summary of programs and activities.
- The USDA Forest Service is the federal agency in charge of National Forests. National Forests are not preserves or recreational areas. They are set aside for multiple use. The uses may include timber cutting, watershed, grazing, mining, recreation, and wildlife habitat, for example. National Forests are also to be managed for sustained yield of resources over the long term. Here is a list of National Forests in California, with hyperlinks to each forest. You can find information here on forest management, fires (including prescribed burns), maps, visitor information, wildlife information, and much more, varying with each forest jurisdiction. The Pacific Southwest Region includes all the National Forests in California. Their website has information about forest management, water, ecology, recreation, and more, including maps. The Pacific Southwest Research Station has publications on a variety of topics.
- The National Park Service
is in charge of some
of the most beautiful lands in the United States. National Parks are set aside for
their scenic beauty, and geological, biological, or historical significance. National Park
lands are preserved for future generations, and are managed for recreation and wildlife
habitat (as opposed to multiple goals on Forest Service Lands). Here is a map showing the National Parks in
California. Click on the Park you are interested in for more information about the
park (a lot of information). If you are interested in issues of fire
management in National Parks, here are some links to Park
Fire Websites in California and the rest of the Pacific Northwest
Region. - The Bureau of Land Management
manages US public lands that are not in National Forests, National Parks or other
jurisdictions. Much of the BLM land is grassland, desert, and tundra. Like
National Forests, BLM land is managed for multiple use, including grazing, mining,
recreation, and wildlife habitat. The
BLM
in California has jurisdiction over a total of 14,557,657 acres.
This clickable map has links to BLM
field offices in the state. While mining, grazing, and various recreational activities
are major uses of these lands, some of the BLM land in California is preserved as Wilderness. See this list of Wilderness Areas in California for
links to information on wilderness sites in the mountains, deserts (including dune areas),
and elsewhere. One unique area managed for wildlife habitat is the California
Coastal National Monument, which includes "islands,
rocks, exposed reefs, and pinnacles above mean high tide" all
along the California coast. - The Natural Resources Conservation Service is a Federal agency that does not manage its own land, but focuses on conservation on private land in the U.S. Originally the Soil Conservation Service, and working principally with farmers and ranchers, this agency has had its mission broadened, to include such areas as watershed issues, wetlands, wildlife habitat, and grazing lands, as well as soils. The National Soil Survey Center is the central location for information on soils. The NRCS provides a variety of educational and technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, local communities, and "ultimately, every water user and food consumer in the Nation." They work mainly through local Resource Conservation Districts at the county level. Here is a list of Resource Conservation Districts in California that are on the Web. This page on State of the Land "provides data on land use and change, soil erosion and soil quality, water quality, wetlands, and other issues regarding the conservation and use of natural resources on non-Federal land in the United States". Living in Harmony with Wetlands is a basic introduction to wetlands and the need to conserve them. There is also a lot of other information on wetlands conservation available.
- The Bureau of Reclamation
is not
generally considered an environmental agency, but it is definitely a resource agency,
participating in the management of one of our most vital (and limiting) resources: water.
Dams and aqueducts under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Reclamation provide much of the
water used in southern California. As a federal resource agency, the Bureau is
subject to NEPA and other environmental laws, and has had an increasing role in the
management of ecosystems under its jurisdiction. For programs, policies, and
activities of the Bureau in Southern California, see the Lower
Colorado Regional Office. As an example of the Bureau's involvement in
management
of ecosystems, see the Lower Colorado
River Multi-Species Conservation Program. Other Resource Management programs include Salton
Sea restoration, water conservation, reclamation and reuse, and endangered species
programs. Reclamations's Mid-Pacific Region,
headquartered in Sacramento, is involved with CALFED Bay-Delta Programs. See
this clickable map for links to Mid-Pacific
Area Offices.
- The California Department of
Conservation
is involved with conserving and regulating the use of natural resources in
California, including farmland and open space resources, mineral and energy
resources, such as oil, gas and geothermal wells, and the reclamation of land used for
mining. They also have a beverage container recycling program, and study and map potential
hazards from earthquakes and landslides. - The mission of the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) is to "improve environmental quality in order to protect public health, the welfare of our citizens, and California's natural resources". They manage and regulate pesticides through the Department of Pesticide Regulation, which can provide information on pesticides and pest management. Other toxic substances are managed by the Department of Toxic Substances Control, which provides a great many fact sheets and other information resources on hazardous wastes. Solid wastes are managed by the Integrated Waste Management Board. Environmental Health, Air Resources, and Water Resources also fall within the jurisdiction of Cal/EPA.
- The mission of the California Coastal Commission "is to plan for and regulate development in the coastal zone consistent with the policies of the California Coastal Act. " They have a beautiful web site, with some great photos, information on legislation pertaining to the coast, educational materials and publications, and are an excellent place to find information on anything to do with the coast.
- Cal-Parks HOME: California has
some
incredibly beautiful landscapes, and many of them have been taken into the state park
system. There are over 260 California State Parks, covering a wide range of
environments over the entire state. There is information on the natural history of
the parks (and human history as well), and you can plan your vacation here, too. State Park Basics has an
alphabetical listing of parks (with links), links to District offices, list of most
frequently visited parks, and a list of underwater parks, among other helpful items. - The California Department of Fish and Game conserves and manages wildlife, has jurisdiction and enforcement authority over hunting and fishing in the state, and works to conserve and enhance wildlife habitat. Here is a list of state and federal Wildlife Refuges in the state, with links to maps. The page on Watchable Wildlife has links to articles on a number of species and habitats, such as Western pond turtles, and herons and egrets (with beautiful photos). There is also a page on California State Listed Animals and Plants that are threatened or endangered.
- Department of Water Resources manages California's water resources. There is a great deal of information on water issues in California that can be accessed through this page.
- The California Department of Forestry "protects the people of California from fires, responds to emergencies, and protects and enhances forest, range and watershed values..."
- The California Resources Agency is "responsible for the conservation, management, and enhancement of California's natural and cultural resources." It is the agency that includes many of the departments and commissions listed here, as well as others, and has a number of other programs related to resources in the state, such as the California Tahoe Conservancy, and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.
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Comments, Questions, or Suggestions? Email: J.R. Thorngren
(but I can't do calculations for you...or do your homework)
06/07/06
The grizzly bear is the state animal of California, and is the bear on the California flag. There are no grizzly bears in the wild in California today. The last one in the state was killed in 1922, or possibly in 1924.