The calendars are free, and distributed to schools, community groups, healthcare facilities, churches, civic organizations, non-profits and individuals upon request, while supplies last.

To request calendars, email public.education@valleyair.org or call (559) 230-6000. Calendars can also be picked up at the District office in Fresno (1990 E. Gettysburg Ave.), Modesto (4800 Enterprise Way), and Bakersfield (34936 Flyover Court).

For more information about the calendar contest, visit the Healthy Air Living Kids’ Calendar Contest website.

The District has successfully reached the end of a multi-year tiered phase-out of nearly all agricultural open burning in the San Joaquin Valley. The state-required phase-outs began in 2005 with most field crops, prunings, large orchard removals and weed abatement activities being prohibited from open burning.

On June 17, 2021, the Governing Board took action to establish updated requirements for the near-complete phase-out of the remaining agricultural open burning in the Valley by January 1, 2025. This action was supported by an extensive public process, and the California Air Resources Board approved the adopted strategy on June 18, 2021. The District has been actively implementing and enforcing the updated phase-out strategy, achieving significant emission reductions as a result of its efforts so far.

Through the initial implementation of the final phase-out strategy in 2020 and continuing through 2023, the amount of agricultural material being open burned through the District’s Smoke Management System has decreased considerably. The amount of agricultural material open burned in 2022 was approximately 125,000 tons, significantly less than the previous year total of 480,000 tons burned in 2021. This decreasing trend has continued in 2023 with approximately 122,000 tons of material burned, and in 2024 with about 98,896 tons of material burned.

Furthermore, the Ag Burn Alternatives Grant Program processed nearly 2,000,000 tons of material annually in both 2022 and 2023, significantly reducing agricultural open burning in the Valley. These reductions, along with the increased adoption of alternatives, represent record achievements since the introduction of agricultural burning restrictions. These milestones highlight the early success of the ongoing phase-out strategy and the grant program's effectiveness.

To learn more about the District’s phase-out strategy, visit the Agricultural Burning website.

The communities of Shafter, South Central Fresno, Stockton and Arvin/Lamont have been prioritized by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (District) and subsequently selected by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as communities in the San Joaquin Valley to receive clean air resources available under Assembly Bill 617 (AB 617). AB 617 provides mechanisms and resources to implement community-specific air quality monitoring networks; to develop, implement, and track emission reduction programs; to improve availability of data and other technical information; and to invest substantial funding in the community through voluntary incentive funding measures. Importantly, these measures are guided by advice and knowledge of local community members, through their input and involvement on Community Steering Committees (CSCs) for each AB 617-selected community.

Together with the CSCs, the District has developed and executed Community Emission Reduction Programs (CERPs) and Community Air Monitoring Plans (CAMPs) in all four selected communities. These programs focus on reducing emissions and tacking air quality progress through community-focused clean air measures. Over $140 million is allocated for specific incentives programs across these communities, and significant progress has been made this year.

In 2024, the District, CSCs, and partner agencies worked together to make huge strides in advancing the clean air commitments in each of the Valley’s CERPs. Key achievements include the kickoff of urban greening and vegetative barrier initiatives in all four communities, significant progress on a truck-reroute study in South Central Fresno, exchange of over 1,100 gas-powered lawnmowers for electric models at community events, and growing outreach and education across all underserved communities in the Valley. The District continues to hold frequent CSC meetings in all four communities to address priorities and adjust strategies, ensuring continuous improvement and community-led solutions. Additionally, the District continues to update a bilingual monthly progress tracker for community members to hold the District accountable for the commitments and measures outlined in the CERPs.

More details about clean air progress in disadvantaged communities, including AB 617 implementation progress, can be found in the District’s interactive 2024 AB 617 Annual Report, available online in both English and Spanish.

The District’s Governing Board took action last month to accept over $8.9 million in additional U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funding to deploy 26 zero-emission, battery-electric Class 6 and 7 trucks and associated charging infrastructure.

The District’s proposal to the EPA’s competitive Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles (CHDV) grant program was selected and awarded $8,933,333.

The project is expected to achieve the following:

• Reduce 577 tons of criteria pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions over the life of the project
• Support local deployment of Class 6 and 7 zero-emission trucks in the San Joaquin Valley
• Improve the understanding of fleet dynamics when deploying a large number of zero-emission trucks and associated infrastructure
• Support zero-emission Class 6 and 7 manufacturers in achieving economies of scale
• Provide workforce development and fleet operator training for zero-emission vehicles

This funding opportunity was designed to address the harmful emissions from in-use, heavy-duty diesel trucks and replace them with zero-emission technology. Equipment is anticipated to be ordered in mid-2025, with vehicle delivery and deployment expected to take place throughout 2026.

Initially started in 2018 as a pilot program to replace conventional nut harvesting equipment with new ones that produce less dust, the District’s Low-Dust Nut Harvester Replacement Program has been an important tool in helping to reduce particulate matter (PM) emissions in the Valley.

Harvesting almonds and walnuts involves shaking, sweeping and drying, and picking up the nuts in a harvester. This process can create large dust plumes. Using low-dust harvesting equipment can significantly reduce dust emissions.

The District offers funding for the replacement of older, conventional harvesters or sweepers with new, low-dust technology equipment. This incentive funding can also be packaged with the District’s Tractor Replacement funding to upgrade a tractor used to pull harvesting equipment.

Incentive amounts are set at 50% of eligible equipment costs, up to a maximum of $150,000 per unit. Funding is limited to five pieces of equipment maximum per applicant. The equipment must be operated anywhere in the District coverage area, which includes the counties of San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and the basin portion of Kern County.

If the equipment is used within the Shafter AB 617’s 7-mile radius community boundary, the incentive amount is 75% of eligible equipment costs with no maximum incentive cap per unit. There also is no funding limit of equipment per applicant in that community.

For more information about this program, visit the Low-Dust Nut Harvester Replacement website.