About the Delta Conservancy
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy was established in 2009 to pursue the co-equal goals of environmental and economic protection of the Delta community. Through both internal programs and grant-funded projects, our goal is to bring integrated environmental, economic, and social benefits to the Delta.
The Delta Conservancy collaborates with local communities, interested groups, fellow science experts, and state and federal agencies to seek creative opportunities to address challenges and progress these efforts within the Delta. The Conservancy is a member of the Delta Plan Interagency Implementation Committee (DPIIC) intended to advance the Delta Plan through increased coordination.
The Conservancy strives to prioritize and fund projects in a balanced manner according to geography and our legislative responsibilities. We understand the importance of completing each of the projects we manage, identifying restoration priorities, and achieving our goals in a way that brings the best possible results for all members of the Delta community.
Our Mission
Working collaboratively and in coordination with local communities, the Conservancy will lead efforts to protect, enhance, and restore the Delta’s economy, agriculture and working landscapes, and environment for the benefit of the Delta region, its local communities, and the citizens of California.
Tribal Consultation Policy
The purpose of this policy is to ensure effective government-to-government consultation between the Natural Resources Agency and its Departments, and Indian tribes and tribal communities, to provide meaningful input in the development of regulations, rules, policies, programs, projects and property decisions and activities that may affect tribal communities. Click here to view the California Natural Resources Agency Tribal Consultation Policy.
Statutory Responsibilities
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy is a state agency within the Natural Resources Agency and was established on February 3, 2010, by the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy Act (Public Resources Code Sections 32300-32381). Click here to view the statute.
The Delta Conservancy is governed by a board, with 11 voting and two non-voting members and receives assistance from 12 Liaison Advisors. Collectively, they represent the five Delta counties, local nonprofits, special districts, and state and federal agencies. The Conservancy’s service area is the statutory Delta and Suisun Marsh, approximately 1,300 square miles with more than 1,000 miles of levees and waterways.
The Delta Conservancy supports efforts that advance both environmental protection and the economic well-being of Delta residents in a complementary manner, including the following:
- Protect and enhance habitat and habitat restoration.
- Protect and preserve Delta agriculture and working landscapes.
- Provide increased opportunities for tourism and recreation.
- Promote Delta legacy communities and economic vitality in the Delta in coordination with the Delta Protection Commission.
- Increase the resilience of the Delta to the effects of natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes, in coordination with the Delta Protection Commission.
- Protect and improve water quality.
- Assist the Delta regional economy through the operation of the Conservancy’s program.
- Identify priority projects and initiatives for which funding is needed.
- Protect, conserve, and restore the region’s physical, agricultural, cultural, historical, and living resources.
- Assist local entities in the implementation of their habitat conservation plans (HCPs) and natural community conservation plans (NCCPs).
- Facilitate “take protection” and “safe harbor” agreements under the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. Sec. 1531 et seq.) and the California Endangered Species Act (Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 2050) of Division 3 of the Fish and Game Code) for adjacent landowners and local public agencies.
- Promote environmental education.