The 'wildcat watershed stewards: empowering community-led management for people-centric environmental restoration in a changing climate (the project) works to build underserved communities' capacity…

This $1,000,748 Project Grant awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9 under the Geographic Programs - San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund (CFDA 66.126) supports a 4-year effort to build the capacity of the underserved community of North Richmond, California to participate in planning, designing, and implementing the Wildcat Creek Watershed Action Plan 2040. The project will facilitate community engagement to update the Wildcat Creek Restoration Action Plan, with a focus on increasing climate resilience and enhancing access to nature in the local community. Key activities include establishing a Community Advisory Board and an advocacy-focused 'Friends of Wildcat Creek Watershed' group, providing workforce development and environmental education for youth, and organizing volunteer restoration and cleanup events. The sub-award will go to the project partner, Urban Tilth, to assist with community outreach and workshop facilitation. The intended outcomes are to empower the North Richmond community to sustainably manage the Wildcat Creek watershed through planned restoration and stewardship activities.

The 'wildcat watershed stewards: empowering community-led management for people-centric environmental restoration in a changing climate (the project) works to build underserved communities' capacity to participate in planning, designing, and implementing the wildcat creek watershed action plan 2040 (wccap 2040). The 4-year project will facility community engagement to update the wildcat creek restoration action plan (wrap). Community engagement will include the creation of a community advisory board and an advocacy-focused group, and k-12 environmental education. Updates to the wrap will focus on increasing climate resilience and enhancing access to nature in the underserved community of north richmond. This assistance agreement provides full federal funding in the amount of $1,000,748. Pre-award costs are approved back to 4/1/2024.activities:to implement the SAN francisco estuary partnership comprehensive conservation and management plan (ccmp), in partnership with urban tilth (UT), the watershed project (TWP) will expand workforce development and youth education and training. TWP and UT intends to prepare residents to update the wrap and establish an advisory board to plan and implement future restoration within the wildcat creek watershed (wccw). This project will conduct workshops and presentations to recruit and create both the advisory board and the advocacy-focused group-this includes coordinating regular meetings for wrap engagement and planning. UT and TWP will also recruit and train 5 interns to TWP's green collar corps programs to support adaptive management of the wccw. The project will conduct volunteer workdays for clean-up and restoration activities while also facilitations citizen science components for future monitoring of the watershed. Finally, to encourage more community outreach and education, TWP will conduct school education programs, coordinate family tours to the creek and lead a watershed awareness campaign with respective outreach materials. Subrecipient:the subaward will go to the project partner, urban tilth, who will assist in outreach and conducting workshops. Outcomes:intended deliverables include the creation of a community advisory board (CAB-WCC) to advance the wildcat watershed action plan 2040; the creation of an advocacy-focused group, 'friends of wildcat creek watershed (fowcc), to generate a workplan and lead a community restoration and clean-up workdays; and environmental education materials concerning wccw restoration and stewardship. Anticipated outcomes include workforce development to with underserved youth and young adults to sustain adaptive management of wildcat creek; community outreach and education to k-12 students and family education to advance a new wrap. The intended beneficiary is the community of north richmond.