The California Department of Conservation is a department within the
government of California
The government of California is the governmental structure of the U.S. state of California as established by the California Constitution. California uses the separation of powers system to structure its government. It is composed of three branche ...
, belonging to the
California Natural Resources Agency
The California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) is a state cabinet-level agency in the government of California. The institution and jurisdiction of the Natural Resources Agency is provided for in California Government Code sections 12800 and 128 ...
. With a team of scientists, engineers, environmental experts, and other specialists, the Department of Conservation administers a variety of programs vital to California's public safety, environment and economy. The department's mission is to manage California's working lands. It regulates oil, natural gas and geothermal wells; studies and maps earthquakes and other geologic phenomena; maps and classifies areas containing mineral deposits; ensures reclamation of land used for mining; and administers agricultural and open-space land conservation programs. A division within the department dedicated to encouraging beverage container recycling has been moved into the newly created Department of Resources Recovery and Recycling (CalRecycle). Despite the similar name, the Department of Conservation should not be confused with the
California Conservation Corps, another department within the Natural Resources Agency, which provides work experience for young adults. The Department of Conservation often collaborates with its
federal
Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to:
Politics
General
*Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies
*Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...
equivalents, such as the
U.S. Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and ...
.
The department's director is David Shabazian.
Divisions
The Department of Conservation is divided into five divisions to oversee its various responsibilities.
California Geological Survey (CGS)
The
California Geological Survey provides scientific analysis of the state's
geology
Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ea ...
,
seismic hazard
A seismic hazard is the probability that an earthquake will occur in a given geographic area, within a given window of time, and with ground motion intensity exceeding a given threshold. With a hazard thus estimated, risk can be assessed and incl ...
s, and
mineral
In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2 ...
resources. Historically, CGS began as a short-lived California Geological Survey (1860–1874). In 1880, the California Legislature created the State Mining Bureau, which focused solely on mining and mineral resources and reported directly to the Governor. The Bureau gradually added authority to regulate oil and gas development, as well as forestry (timber to support mining was a major issue of the day). In 1927, as California Government grew, the Bureau became the Division of Mines within the State's Department of Natural Resources. About the same time, responsibilities for forests were given to a new Division of Forestry, and oil and gas to a new Division of Oil and Gas, both in the Department of Natural resources.
Although mining remained the focus of the Division of Mines, emphasis began to grow in basic geologic products through the 1940s and 1950s. In 1961, the name was changed to Division of Mines and Geology (DMG), with a greater emphasis on environmental geology in urban areas. Following the
1971 San Fernando earthquake
The 1971 San Fernando earthquake (also known as the 1971 Sylmar earthquake) occurred in the early morning of February 9 in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in southern California. The unanticipated thrust earthquake had a magnitude of ...
, DMG was authorized to delineate regulatory zones along
faults and install instruments to record earthquake strong motion. In 1976, it was authorized to help assure reclamation of mined lands, and in 1990 to delineate regulatory zones for liquefaction, earthquake-triggered landslides, and tsunamis. In January 1991, reclamation-related responsibilities were moved to a new Office of Mine Reclamation. In 2002, the Division unofficially began using the name California Geological Survey, a change that was formally authorized in 2006 by the California Legislature.
Division of Land Resource Protection (DLRP)
Promoting
conservation
Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws.
Conservation may also refer to:
Environment and natural resources
* Nature conservation, the protection and managem ...
, the Division of Resource Protection oversees studies regarding
urban sprawl
Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city." Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growt ...
, the use of
farmland
Agricultural land is typically land ''devoted to'' agriculture, the systematic and controlled use of other forms of lifeparticularly the rearing of livestock and production of cropsto produce food for humans. It is generally synonymous with bo ...
, and regularly monitors and maps the loss of farmland to urban growth.
A policy that falls under the Division of Land Resource Protection is the California Land Conservation Act of 1965, or the
Williamson Act The Williamson Act of the US state of California (officially, the California Land Conservation Act of 1965) is a California law that provides relief of property tax to owners of farmland and open-space land in exchange for a ten-year agreement that ...
. The Williamson Act is a California law that gives property tax priority to landowners who keep their land an open or agricultural space. While the act’s language has changed over the years, it was created in an effort to prevent the urban development of agricultural land in California and to make agricultural work an economically sound career for farmers. While counties that opt-in are required to facilitate their own structure for implementing the Williamson Act, the California Department of Conservation is responsible for aiding the interpretation of the act on a broader level. This means making the act accessible to the public, from government agencies to landowners. For example, the department is mandated to post information regarding the act on its website, including but not limited to how many acres are in use under the act, where to find certificates of cancellation, and the amount of cancellation fees for a given county.
Another policy that falls under the Division of Land Resource Protection is the
California Environmental Quality Act
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is a California statute passed in 1970 and signed in to law by then-Governor Ronald Reagan, shortly after the United States federal government passed the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), t ...
or CEQA. This act was created in 1970 to ensure the government and its agencies maintain a healthy and aesthetically pleasing environment for Californians, while also recognizing that action must be taken now to keep it that way. Some of CEQA’s responsibilities for governmental agencies include spreading awareness of the environmental impacts certain activities create, researching how damage to the environment can be mitigated for better alternatives, and making environment-based governmental decisions and their reasonings available for transparency. It’s the responsibility of the Division of Land Resource Protection to aid in the education of CEQA processes to the public. This includes reviewing environmental decisions, making public comments, and technical support for everyone from governmental agencies to members of the public. An example of this is providing information about CEQA on the California Department of Conservation’s website.
Division of Mine Reclamation (DMR)
The Surface Mining and Reclamation Act of 1975 (SMARA) gave the Department of Conservation responsibilities related to reclamation of mined lands. Initially these responsibilities were allocated to the Division of Mines and Geology, working in concert with the State Mining and Geology Board and local governments. In 1991, those responsibilities were transferred to the Division of Mine Reclamation. DMR is involved in every mining operation within the state, studying the ability of mining operations to restore land to its previously unaltered state following the cessation of mine operations.
Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM, formerly DOGGR)
The California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) prioritizes protecting public health, safety, and the environment in its oversight of the oil, natural gas, and geothermal industries, while working to help California achieve its climate change and clean energy goals. To do that, CalGEM uses science and sound engineering practices to regulate the drilling, operation, and permanent closure of energy resource wells.
CalGEM also maintains a database of active wells, expired wells, surveyed lands and leases on
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
land, coastal waters (0–3 miles) and federal
Outer Continental Shelf
The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) is a feature of the geography of the United States. The OCS is the part of the internationally recognized continental shelf of the United States which does not fall under the jurisdictions of the individual U. ...
(OCS). When a well is no longer needed, either because the oil or gas
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
becomes depleted, or because no oil or gas was found (called a dry-hole), the well is plugged and abandoned. A well is plugged by placing
cement
A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mi ...
in the well-bore or
casing at certain intervals as specified in California laws or regulations. The purpose of the cement is to seal the wellbore or casing and prevent fluid from migrating between underground rock layers. Cement plugs are required to be placed across the oil or gas reservoir (zone plug), across the base-of-fresh-water (BFW plug), and at the surface (surface plug). Other cement plugs may be required at the bottom of a string of open casing (shoe plug), on top of tools that may become stuck down hole (junk plug), on top of cut casing (stub plug), or anywhere else where a cement plug may be needed. Also, the hole is filled with
drilling mud to help prevent the migration of fluids.
In 2014 the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR)
officials admitted that for several years they had "inadvertently" permitted companies to inject potentially hazardous wastewater from
fracking
Fracking (also known as hydraulic fracturing, hydrofracturing, or hydrofracking) is a well stimulation technique involving the fracturing of bedrock formations by a pressurized liquid. The process involves the high-pressure injection of "frac ...
and other oil production operations "into hundreds of disposal wells in protected aquifers" in violation of federal law. The oversight was attributed to "haphazard record-keeping and antiquated data collection."
In 2019, Governor
Gavin Newsom
Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10, 1967) is an American politician and businessman who has been the 40th governor of California since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th lieutenant governor of California f ...
fired director Ken Harris over allegations of conflict of interest.
On 1 January 2020 DOGGR's name was changed to the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM).
)
State Mining and Geology Board
The State Mining and Geology Board is granted certain
autonomous
In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy, from , ''autonomos'', from αὐτο- ''auto-'' "self" and νόμος ''nomos'', "law", hence when combined understood to mean "one who gives oneself one's ow ...
responsibilities and obligations under several statutes within the Department of Conservation. The board's general authority requires its nine board members to "represent the general public interest." The board serves as a regulatory, policy and appeals body representing the state's interest in
geology
Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ea ...
, geologic and
seismologic hazards, conservation of mineral resources, and reclamation following surface mining activities.
See also
*
California Environmental Protection Agency
The California Environmental Protection Agency, or CalEPA, is a state cabinet-level agency within the government of California. The mission of CalEPA is to restore, protect and enhance the environment, to ensure public health, environmental qu ...
*
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
References
External links
Department of Conservation
{{DEFAULTSORT:California Department Of Conservation
Department of Conservation
An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment ...
Environment of California
Conservation
Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws.
Conservation may also refer to:
Environment and natural resources
* Nature conservation, the protection and managem ...
State environmental protection agencies of the United States