CE&P Team Marks Key Milestones

CE&P Team Marks Key Milestones

Posted on December 4, 2023

SHE’s Community Engagement and Planning Team (CE&P) works to advance public health and equity in environmental decision-making processes by ensuring the protection of clean drinking water sources and building community power in the environmental and climate policy formation process among residents within San Joaquin Valley’s most disenfranchised communities who are historically excluded from policy decision-making processes. Recently, the CE&P team accomplished key milestones that advanced the team’s efforts. These include the following:   

• Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP): As co-chairs of the MLRP Statewide Support Entity (SSE), Self-Help Enterprises and the Environmental Defense Fund provide technical support to eight block grantees (entities that received funding). The SSE recently completed one year in this role, and to date, the SSE has facilitated 12 block grantee meetings on a variety of topics from community outreach to building resilience to working lands options; provided 18 different tools and resources, ranging from grant management tools to resources for community outreach, including a community and grower survey; brought on The Nature Conservancy and the Union of Concerned Scientists as implementation partners helping to develop content for grantee meetings, educated block grantees on their areas of expertise; and formed a diverse Advisory Committee to advise the work of the SSE. 
• San Joaquin Valley Clean Water Advocates Training & Celebration Event: On November 4, SHE, along with partner organizations Community Water Center and Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, held a training and celebration event at SHE. The participating organizations, community associations, and community leaders learned about recharge and the Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP). Following the training, the members celebrated this three-year effort that aimed to cultivate power building and develop long-term water management capacity and expertise on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and the Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience program.  
• Domestic Well Impact Mitigation Template: Provides guidance and technical assistance to Groundwater Sustainability Agencies in developing their well impact mitigation programs while implementing their groundwater sustainability plans under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. The template outlines the processes for data gathering, public outreach, monitoring networks, and management actions to monitor and protect drinking water wells and mitigate impacts proactively should they occur. 

Learn more about the CE&P team here.