Board Elections

Contra Costa County Supervisor Ken Carlson (pictured) will serve as the Conservancy’s Board Chair for 2026-2027, and Yolo County Supervisor Sheila Allen was re-elected as Vice Chair.

Two new members have also joined the Delta Conservancy Board. Leticia Ramirez, a Voting Member recently appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Efraim Lopez, a Board Liaison representing the Yolo Basin Foundation.

The Conservancy Board is made up of appointed public members; county supervisors from the five Delta counties; and representatives from local nonprofits, special districts, and state and federal agencies. We welcome and look forward to working with the new and returning members.

Funds Released for Wetland Restoration Project

The Board approved the release of $13.1 million for Phase II of the Wetland Construction Project on Webb Tract. The funding was originally conditionally awarded in 2023 as part of a $20.9 million grant to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The grant funding for this project was made possible by the Amended Budget Act of 2022, which provided the Conservancy with $36 million for nature-based climate solutions projects.

Located in Contra Costa County, Webb Tract is a deeply subsided 5,500-acre island previously used for cattle grazing. With the funding, Metropolitan will convert portions of the land into managed wetlands and establish rice cultivation – efforts that will provide fish and wildlife habitat, reverse subsidence, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

New Climate Bond Grant Program

The Board also voted to approve two solicitation notices that will primarily be funded by the Proposition 4 Climate Bond:

• The Delta Community, Environment, and Climate Grant Program will fund multi-benefit projects in the Delta and Suisun Marsh.

• A Small Grant Program for projects under $100,000 that make transformative investments in the Delta’s social, economic, scientific, and physical infrastructure.

The Conservancy will solicit project proposals that focus on at least one of three priorities, as described below:  

• Community Enhancement: Projects that improve outdoor access, preserve the Delta’s heritage, or enhance the unique values of the Delta. Examples include planning, land acquisition, trails, parks, environmental education, or historic building renovations.

• Nature-Based Solutions: Projects that help stop or reverse ongoing subsidence and reduce greenhouse gas emissions on highly organic soils by supporting farmers transitioning to rice cultivation or managed wetlands and providing them with technical assistance.

• Ecosystem Restoration and Climate Adaptation: Projects that protect and restore the Delta and Suisun Marsh’s natural resources, environment, and biodiversity. Examples include planning; education; habitat restoration, enhancement, and protection; watershed resilience; land acquisitions; and conservation easements.

The Conservancy expects to release detailed solicitation notices in September. Information will be available on the Delta Conservancy’s website under the Proposition 4 Climate Bond Grant Program.