Grants Database

Portions of both of Ventura County’s major watersheds (Santa Clara River and Calleguas Creek) are classified as impaired under the Clean Water Act because of pesticide pollution. Since 2015, California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation has found pesticides in Ventura County surface water and sediments over 200 times, with glyphosate, malathion, chlorthal-dimethyl, and bifenthrin being the most frequent problems. Pesticide use in California is an enormous, multi-faceted problem, and there are no simple, quick solutions. However, Californians for Pesticide Reform’s (CPR) local coalition in the Oxnard area has achieved considerable momentum in local and state campaigns and movement building. The group has participated in both statewide and local policymaking to reduce pesticide use with the goal of protecting water quality. CPR will use the grant funding to continue engaging Ventura County residents and leaders to reduce regional pesticide use and join in statewide pesticide policy campaigns aimed at reducing usage and protecting water resources in the County. The group’s long-term goal is to reduce the use of the most hazardous pesticides in the county and to support safe replacements for drift prone pesticides. In addition to putting the region on a path for agricultural sustainability, it will produce direct watershed benefits by decreasing toxic pollutants in local waterways and creating healthier habitats for aquatic dependent species.