At the 2016 November California Association of Resource Conservation Districts (CARCD) Conference, IERCD Board President Paul Williams accepted the Association's annual Service Award presented to the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District.  The award was in recognition of the contribution by  IERCD Board and staff to the success of the annual conference, and presented to President Williams by CARCD Executive Director Karen Buhr and CARCD Board President Glenn Franklin.  CARCD is an incredibly important IERCD partner and District Board and staff felt incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to partner on such a successful event.

REDLANDS, Calif., Nov. 19, 2012 – The Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD) was honored as an “Outstanding District of the Year” at a well-attended USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Partnership Awards Luncheon during the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts’ (CARCD) 67th Annual Conference held in San Diego on Nov. 15.

Board President Paul Williams accepted the prestigious award presented by Acting NRCS State Conservationist Jeff Burwell in recognition of the district’s commitment to natural resource conservation and outreach to schools and communities. IERCD was among only four award winning conservation districts from around the state, with one honoree in each of NRCS’s four administrative areas in California. 

“RCD’s are one of NRCS’s key partners in conservation, and we have a long and successful history together," said Burwell. "I applaud this year’s four outstanding districts of the year for their dedication to partnerships, innovation, and outstanding work in getting conservation on the ground in California."

IERCD has made removing invasive plant species, protecting local waterways, restoring degraded wildlife habitats and installing pollinator-friendly hedgerows as key priorities within Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Furthermore, IERCD has been an outstanding partner to local schools by bringing the conservation message into the classroom. IERCD has hosted nearly 800 classroom presentations benefitting nearly 20,000 students. They also organized afterschool programs for economically-disadvantaged youth and developed a conservation curriculum for students of all ages. 

“We are very appreciative for the continued partnership with the Redlands NRCS Field Office and look forward to future collaboration that will better serve our community," said Williams. “The partnership that has been established between the IERCD and NRCS has proven to be an invaluable resource that has greatly increased our level of outreach and technical support within the District.”

Inland Empire Resource Conservation District has recently been awarded the District Merit Award by the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts. This honor has been bestowed upon IERCD for its "extremely active on-the-ground work encompassing many successful projects and partnerships."