The Madera/Chowchilla Resource Conservation District
The Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP) helps you maximize the potential of your land by repurposing it for enhanced productivity and environmental benefit. This program offers tailored solutions to optimize land use, ensuring sustainable outcomes and increased value. Explore how MLRP can benefit your land today and contribute to more efficient and sustainable land management practices.
Support for voluntarily ag land transitions that save water and create co-benefits
MLRP Madera is seeking public input about the types of ag land repurposing projects that make sense and are desirable for our region. This input is important to help define the types of projects that will be eligible for MLRP funding as well as the co-benefits that will be created for the community. If you are a grower or resident in Madera County, please contribute your perspective by completing a short survey.
MLRP is a California Department of Conservation (DOC) grant program funding local entities in regions needing to improve groundwater sustainability. Madera County is one of eight grantees across the state that has been awarded an MLRP grant to develop and implement a local MLRP program.
The purpose of MLRP is to support growers to envision and implement ag land repurposing projects that support groundwater sustainability while also producing additional benefits for rural communities and ecosystems. The program is voluntary yet recognizes that SGMA-related impacts have and will require many growers in Madera County to make land use changes. MLRP offers the opportunity for ag landowners to access state and other funding sources to proactively transition their land (or portion of their land) to a less water intensive use. For communities, MLRP aims to encourage and reward land repurposing projects that create benefits to community health, economic well-being, water supply, flood risk reduction, habitat, renewable energy and more. Each regional MLRP program is creating a plan design that defines the specific types of land repurposing projects and community benefits that best align with local needs and considerations.
Reach out via email at mlrp@maderacounty.com.
Schedule an in-person or virtual appointment with a Madera County Water Resources Specialist. Click here for more information about appointment options and scheduling.
Refer to the graphic below for clarifications to common questions and misconceptions about what MLRP is and isn’t.
In Madera County, there are several stakeholder partners working together to develop and implement the “MLRP Madera” program in our region. The primary organizations that are part of the MLRP Madera partnership and support network include Madera County, Madera County Farm Bureau, Madera/Chowchilla Resource Conservation District, Madera Ag Water Association (MAWA), California Farmland Trust and Zanjero, Inc. MLRP Madera is also part of the statewide network of grantees that are supported by Self-Help Enterprises, Environmental Defense Fund, and Environmental Incentive
Between fall 2023 and spring 2024, MLRP Madera partners are developing the plan and program for MLRP in Madera County. An important part of this effort is getting input from growers, residents and community stakeholders through workshops and other outreach activities. The input process will help inform the criteria for land repurposing project types as well as the co-benefits that are desired by the community.
Once the MLRP Madera plan development process is complete, the process and timeline for applying for MLRP Madera funds will be announced. It is expected that the MLRP Madera solicitation announcement will be made in early summer 2024 and the application window will open shortly after. To receive MLRP Madera news and announcements, email your request to mlrp@maderacounty.com.
For MLRP in Madera County, additional eligibility requirements or guidelines may apply, which will be specified in the MLRP Madera plan.
The CA Department of Conservation has empowered local grantees with the flexibility to determine which land repurposing project types make the most sense and will provide the greatest benefits to their communities. That said, local MLRP programs must follow the guidelines for MLRP at the statewide level. For projects, MLRP requires ag land transitions to use less water than the previously irrigated cropland and provide benefits that are maintained for a minimum of 10 years.
The statewide guidelines also present broad project types that may be funded by MLRP. These include:
With the statewide project guidelines in mind, MLRP Madera will develop a localized plan for the project types that will be funded in Madera County. Grower and resident input is important to the MLRP Madera process for developing the project type list along with the specifications for each project type. This input is being gathered through the MLRP Madera outreach process, which includes workshops, surveys and direct stakeholder engagement.
Madera/Chowchilla RCD covers 550,000+ acres in Madera County, focusing on sustainable resource conservation and agricultural land protection.
Quick Links
Projects
Contact Us
Mailing Address
District Size
