By: Don Drysdale A project that can trace its history to 18th century Spanish explorers and involved the use of drone technology is unfolding in the southeastern California desert. The Bureau of Land Management and California Department of Conservation’s Division of Mine Reclamation (DMR) are working to eliminate 65 hazardous legacy mine shafts and openings…
Stay Out, Stay Alive — Closing Abandoned Mines to Protect the Public
By Don Drysdale DOC Division of Mine Reclamation’s Abandoned Mine Lands Unit (AMLU) has been responsible for closing more than a thousand potentially dangerous legacy mine openings around the state, typically with protecting outdoor recreation enthusiasts in mind. Recently, though, AMLU facilitated a project that started with a mother’s plea to protect a child in…
Santa Clara County Makes Ag Conservation a Priority
Santa Clara County is investing in agricultural conservation infrastructure with the help of planning grant funding administered by the California Department of Conservation (DOC). Until the 1960s, the Santa Clara Valley was referred to as “The Valley of Heart’s Delight.” It was home to a multitude of orchards and 39 canneries — the largest fruit…
There’s Nothing Like a Picture
“The FLIR camera utilizes technology that lets you see the leak,” said DOGGR Engineering Geologist Andrew Lush. “In terms of us communicating with operators and the public, there’s nothing like a picture.” The Department of Conservation continues to modernize technology to improve oversight of California’s oil and gas industry. One relatively new acquisition has been…
DOC’s Women in Science Making a Difference
Women In Science Day “The Department of Conservation is home to dozens of earth science experts and experienced, talented staff. From professional engineers, to geologists, botanists, environmental scientists, and more, DOC is proud many of our science-based positions are held by women. I am proud of the contributions DOC’s women scientists are making toward helping California achieve…
New Oil & Gas Rules Focus on Environmental Protection, Safety
By: Department of Conservation Director David Bunn DOC continues to develop and adopt new regulations to ensure that public safety and the environment are protected during oil and gas production in California. In 2018, DOC’s Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) finalized stronger, more comprehensive regulations for both underground natural gas storage and…
New Year New Faces at DOC
A new year means new faces for our Faces of Conservation project. Faces of Conservation does just that. It puts a face to the work our staff do daily, often outside of the public eye. We are committed to employing top scientists, engineers, technicians, supervisors, and support staff and leveraging their talent to help balance…
DOC Team Receives Prestigious CAL FIRE Award for Work with Thomas Fire
Several of our staff were recently awarded by CAL FIRE for Superior Accomplishment for their emergency post-fire mapping efforts during the tragic Thomas fire and ensuing mudslide in Montecito last year. The Thomas fire started on December 4, 2017. It ignited on the south-facing hillslopes along State Route 150 above Santa Paula, and burned west…
DOC Announces $1.9 Million Available to Hire Forest Health Watershed Coordinators
If you could invest one dollar and get $7 back, you’d probably jump on it, right? That’s why we at the Department of Conservation (DOC) are excited about the reactivation of a program that allows local entities to hire forest health watershed coordinators. A “watershed” is an area where all the water running off the…
Oil & Gas Engineers Double as Feline Heroes
Typically, being an oil and gas engineer means handling complex hydrocarbon and geothermal technology, crunching environmental data, using a high level of analytical skill. Sometimes, the job also includes handling fuzzy little kittens. On a usual weekday last month, Brian Tillquist , a field engineer for the oil, gas, and geothermal resources division (DOGGR), and…