Organization: RESOURCES LEGACY FUND
Mission: RESOURCES LEGACY FUND WORKS WITH PHILANTHROPISTS TO CONSERVE LAND, WATER, AND OCEAN RESOURCES WHILE ADVANCING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES AND SOCIAL EQUITY.
Activities: IN 2019, RESOURCES LEGACY FUND (RLF) FURTHERED ITS WORK WITH PHILANTHROPISTS TO CONSERVE LAND, WATER, AND OCEAN RESOURCES WHILE ADVANCING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES AND SOCIAL EQUITY.SELECT RLF ACCOMPLISHMENTS DURING 2019:DAM REMOVALIN 2019, RLF'S OPEN RIVERS FUND (ORF) CONTINUED REMOVING DAMS IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. ORF FUNDING SUPPORTED THE DECONSTRUCTION OF ONE DAM IN OREGON AND THE PLANNING NECESSARY TO ADVANCE REMOVAL OF 12 ADDITIONAL DAMS IN 2020 IN STATES ACROSS THE WEST. ORF PROJECTS REDUCE FLOOD RISK, ELIMINATE THE LIABILITY OF A DECAYING DAM, RESTORE NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURAL PRACTICES, MODERNIZE IRRIGATION INFRASTRUCTURE FOR RANCHERS AND FARMERS, IMPROVE BOAT PASSAGE, AND IMPROVE HABITAT FOR FISHERIES THAT PROVIDE FOOD, SUSTAIN NATIVE CULTURE, AND ATTRACT ANGLERS. RLF LAUNCHED ORF IN NOVEMBER 2016 WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE WILLIAM AND FLORA HEWLETT FOUNDATION. THE FUND IS WORKING ON PROJECTS IN 40 WATERSHEDS SPANNING ALASKA, CALIFORNIA, IDAHO, MONTANA, NEW MEXICO, OREGON, WASHINGTON, WYOMING, AND UTAH. THE FUND'S PORTFOLIO OF PROJECTS ARE DIVERSE IN SIZE, BENEFITS, PARTNERS, APPROACHES, AND PROSPECTS FOR SUCCESS. ORF IS ALSO MAKING PROGRESS ON ITS BROADER GOAL OF GENERATING POLICIES, FUNDING, AND PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE TO FOSTER ONGOING SUPPORT FOR DAM REMOVAL. IN OREGON, FOR EXAMPLE, RLF WORKED TO GET FUNDING FOR DAM REMOVAL AND RIVER RESTORATION INCLUDED IN A PARKS AND NATURE BOND MEASURE IN PORTLAND, PROVIDING FUNDING FOR PROJECTS THAT PROTECT CLEAN WATERS AND RESTORE FISH AND WILDLIFE HABITAT, EXPLICITLY INCLUDING DAM REMOVAL.LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUNDA LONG-TIME FOCUS FOR RLF AND ITS PARTNERS HAS BEEN TO ACHIEVE PERMANENT AUTHORIZATION AND FULL FUNDING ($900 MILLION ANNUALLY) OF THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND (LWCF), THE FEDERAL CONSERVATION FUNDING SOURCE THAT HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL FOR DECADES IN ADVANCING STRATEGIC CONSERVATION AND RECREATION ACQUISITIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. PERMANENT AUTHORIZATION OF LWCF WAS INCLUDED IN THE JOHN D. DINGELL, JR. CONSERVATION, MANAGEMENT, AND RECREATION ACT SIGNED INTO LAW IN MARCH 2019, FOLLOWING THE SUSTAINED WORK OF A DIVERSE COALITION, SUPPORTED BY RLF, THAT INCLUDED KEY FUNDERS, FARMERS, RANCHERS, AND CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS. THE FINAL STEP-PERMANENT FULL FUNDING-WAS THE GOAL IN FOR 2020 AS THE LWCF COALITION CONTINUED ITS WORK WITH BIPARTISAN CHAMPIONS ON CAPITOL HILL TO ADVANCE PERMANENT FUNDING LEGISLATION, WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP INDICATING HIS SUPPORT.EQUITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICETHE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION (DEPARTMENT) ANNOUNCED GRANT AWARDS FROM ITS PROPOSITION 68 STATEWIDE PARK PROGRAM IN FEBRUARY 2020, AN OUTCOME OF EFFORTS SUPPORTED BY RLF THROUGHOUT 2019. THIS COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE CREATION OF NEW PARKS IN THE MOST CRITICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE. IN THE FIRST ROUND OF FUNDING, THE DEPARTMENT AWARDED GRANTS TOTALING $255 MILLION FOR 62 PROJECTS. RLF GRANTEES, INCLUDING THE LOS ANGELES NEIGHBORHOOD LAND TRUST, FRESNO BUILDING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES, AND THE CITY OF RICHMOND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH POGO PARK WERE AWARDED OVER $20 MILLION. IN SEPTEMBER 2019, FIRST 5 LOS ANGELES AND RLF ESTABLISHED A TWO-YEAR STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP DESIGNED TO PREPARE ORGANIZATIONS SERVING DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES TO SECURE PUBLIC FUNDING FOR PARKS, WATER, AND CLIMATE RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE. THE GOAL OF THE GOVERNMENTS, ADVOCATES, FAMILIES, AND PARKS INITIATIVE (LINK) IS TO CULTIVATE PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN PARENTS, RESIDENTS, MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS, AND EXPERTS IN PARK DEVELOPMENT AND MOBILIZE COMMUNITIES AROUND PROJECT PLANS THAT WILL RESULT IN A PARK BEING BUILT IN AT LEAST TWO COMMUNITIES. THE INITIAL LOCATIONS WILL BE THE CITY OF EL MONTE, CA AND TWO COMMUNITIES IN SOUTHEAST LOS ANGELES. RLF ADMINISTERS A POOLED FUND THAT INITIALLY WAS CAPITALIZED AT $800,000: $600,000 FROM FIRST 5 LA AND $200,000 FROM RLF. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING THE $200,000 IN FUNDING OVER TWO YEARS, RLF PROVIDES PROGRAM CONSULTATION AND CONTRACTING SUPPORT TO THE PROJECT.LAND CONSERVATION IN MEXICOIN NORTHWEST MEXICO, RLF SUPPORTED THE PROTECTION OF 242 STRATEGICALLY-TARGETED ACRES THAT PROTECT MARINE HABITAT, PRISTINE COASTAL LANDS, AND OTHER HIGH-VALUE CONSERVATION PROPERTIES. RLF HAS ALSO INVESTED IN GRANTEE ACTIVITIES THAT BUILD LOCAL ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY, COMMUNICATIONS EXPERTISE, AND OTHER STRATEGIES TO ADVANCE CONSERVATION IN THE REGION.OCEANS AND COASTSDURING THE LAST YEAR, RLF IMPLEMENTED PROGRAMS AND GRANTS SUPPORTING ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE OCEAN, COASTAL, AND FISHING SUSTAINABILITY IN CALIFORNIA, HAWAII, AND WORLDWIDE. IN 2019, RLF SUPPORTED A BROAD RANGE OF ORGANIZATIONS TO ADVANCE EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF CALIFORNIA'S MARINE PROTECTED AREA (MPA) NETWORK, IMPROVE OCEAN GOVERNANCE THROUGH ADOPTION OF EQUITY POLICIES, AND SECURE PUBLIC FUNDING FOR OCEAN CONSERVATION. RLF ALSO SUPPORTED EFFORTS IN CALIFORNIA TO PROMOTE EQUITABLE COASTAL ACCESS, SECURE COASTAL PROTECTION, ADDRESS IMPACTS OF SEA LEVEL RISE, AND IMPROVE STATE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT. DURING 2019, RLF ADVANCED THE HEALTH AND RESILIENCE OF CALIFORNIA WATERSHEDS AND INCREASED THE CAPACITY OF UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES TO ENGAGE IN DOING SO. IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, RLF HELPED BUILD COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR INVESTMENT OF RECENTLY DEVELOPED BOND FUNDS FOCUSED ON INFRASTRUCTURE, PROGRAMS, AND PROJECTS TO CAPTURE AND TREAT POLLUTED STORMWATER. RLF ALSO SUPPORTED IMPLEMENTATION OF A COORDINATED PERMITTING PROCESS FOR MULTI-BENEFIT RESTORATION PROJECTS IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA. IN ADDITION, RLF SUPPORTED EFFORTS TO PROMOTE WATERSHED BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES BY FARMERS AND RANCHERS. TO STRENGTHEN ENGAGEMENT BY DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, RLF SUPPORTED PARTICIPATION BY NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN WATERSHED RESTORATION AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.IN HAWAII, RLF SUPPORTED EFFORTS TO IMPLEMENT A STATE SYSTEM OF MARINE MANAGED AREAS AND TO SECURE PHILANTHROPIC FUNDING FOR OCEAN CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT.TO PROMOTE GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES, RLF PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR FISHERY AND STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION IN THE MSC CERTIFICATION PROGRAM, FISHERY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT DESIGN, AND FAIR TRADE CERTIFICATION OF SUSTAINABLE AND ETHICALLY SOURCED FISH. RLF GRANTS SUPPORTED FISHERY ASSESSMENTS AND PROJECT DESIGN IN MEXICO, JAPAN, INDONESIA, CHILE, ECUADOR, THE PHILIPPINES, AND ELSEWHERE.FOCUSED PROJECTS FOR DONORSRLF SERVES AS FISCAL SPONSOR FOR A PORTFOLIO OF PROJECTS OF INTEREST TO ITS DONORS, MOST OF WHICH ADDRESS CONSERVATION. PROJECTS SUPPORTED BY RLF IN 2019 INCLUDED EFFORTS TO FRAME THE PUBLIC DEBATE ON AND CORRECT THE RECORD ABOUT LAND CONSERVATION AND RESPONSIBLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IN THE AMERICAN WEST; PROTECT TREASURED WESTERN LANDSCAPES BY ENSURING RESPONSIBLE ENERGY DEVELOPMENT ON PUBLIC LANDS; DEVELOP CAMPAIGNS TO GAIN PERMANENT PROTECTION FOR NATURAL LANDS IN ARGENTINA; MINIMIZE THE IMPACTS OF OFF-ROAD VEHICLES ON PUBLIC LANDS ACROSS THE WEST; AND SUPPORT VARIOUS EFFORTS AND GROUPS WORKING ON EDUCATION, PUBLIC HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES, ARTS, GUN SAFETY, AND CIVIL RIGHTS.EXAMPLES OF FISCALLY SPONSORED PROJECTS INCLUDE THE INTERNATIONAL BOREAL CONSERVATION CAMPAIGN, WHICH AIMS TO PROTECT AT LEAST ONE BILLION ACRES OF INTACT BOREAL FOREST IN CANADA BY THE END OF 2022 THROUGH PARTNERSHIP WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, AND THE CENTER FOR WESTERN PRIORITIES, WHICH ADVANCES RESPONSIBLE CONSERVATION AND ENERGY PRACTICES IN THE WEST THROUGH ORIGINAL RESEARCH, PUBLIC DEBATE, AND ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT WITH JOURNALISTS AND SOCIAL MEDIA.
NTEE category: Environment
Secondary category: Food, Agriculture & Nutrition