Inland Empire Resource Conservation District

What Inland Empire Resource Conservation District does

The Inland Empire Resource Conservation District (IERCD) is a California special district — the most local form of government — headquartered in Redlands, California. Organized under Division 9 of the California Public Resources Code and deriving authority from the Soil Conservation Act of 1935, the district is responsible for the preservation and management of 823,390 acres (approximately 1,286 square miles) of public and private land across northwestern Riverside and southwestern San Bernardino counties. Governance is provided by a seven-member Board of Directors appointed by the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, supported by two Associate Directors and a staff of approximately 40 specialists.

IERCD operates through five interconnected core program areas: Education (free, hands-on K-12 environmental education covering native plants, wildlife habitats, food systems, and watershed science); Forestry (forest health, wildfire resilience, invasive pest management including Goldspotted Oak Borer and Invasive Shothole Borer, and the Home Assessment Program); Habitat Operations (invasive species removal, native plant nursery operations, mitigation and easements across the Santa Ana River Watershed); Sustainable Agriculture (free soil testing, NRCS farmer support, the CUSP Grant Program, and the Urban Agriculture Subaward Program); and the Louis Robidoux Parkland & Pecan Grove in Jurupa Valley. The district delivers all services free of charge to end users.

The district does not generate revenue through commercial sales; instead, it is funded primarily through state and federal grants — most notably a $7.12 million cumulative block grant from the California Department of Conservation's Regional Forest and Fire Capacity (RFFC) Program since 2019 — supplemented by federal NRCS partnerships, subgrant pass-through funding, donations, and limited county property tax revenues. Service delivery is conducted directly by IERCD staff through on-site school visits, field consultations, property assessments, and subgrant administration, rather than through third-party distribution channels.

Name

Inland Empire Resource Conservation District

Legal name

Inland Empire Resource Conservation District

Website

https://iercd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Inland Empire Resource Conservation District is a California special district providing free environmental education, forest and wildfire resilience, habitat restoration, and sustainable agriculture programs across 823,390 acres in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, funded primarily by state and federal grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Administration of Conservation Programs (924120), Educational Services (611), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Education & Community Programs (Junior Ranger, Citizen Science, School Programs) (THAAAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA), Environmental Interpretation & Ranger-Led Education Programs (Visitor Education) (THAAAOAJ), Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) Program Development & Administration (AFAMAMAF)

Keywords

• Natural resource conservation
• Environmental education services
• Wildfire resilience programs
• Habitat restoration services
• Sustainable agriculture assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Redlands

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Resource Conservation Districts are mostly funded with grants and donations, although some receive limited funding through county property tax revenues. IERCD receives block grant funding from the California Department of Conservation's Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program and administers subgrant programs to other organizations.
2. Federal Partnership Funding: Collaborative funding through partnerships with federal agencies including USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for technical and financial assistance to landowners and farmers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IERCD is a California special district that delivers free environmental education, forestry and wildfire resilience, habitat restoration, and sustainable agriculture programs across 823,390 acres of the Inland Empire. Its core work includes K-12 environmental education delivered at schools, technical assistance to landowners and farmers through partnerships with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, on-the-ground habitat restoration and invasive species management, and administration of subgrant programs for community organizations focused on wildfire preparedness and urban agriculture.

Product overview

Inland Empire Resource Conservation District operates as a conservation district offering a portfolio of interconnected environmental programs. The organization provides five core service areas: Education Programs delivering hands-on environmental learning for students; Forestry Programs focused on forest health and wildfire resilience; Habitat Operations encompassing habitat restoration and invasive species management; Sustainable Agriculture Programs supporting farmers and urban agriculture; and the Louis Robidoux Parkland & Pecan Grove property. These programs work together to promote natural resource conservation across the Santa Ana River Watershed.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Education Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• $7.12 million invested in Regional Forest and Fire Capacity projects since 2019
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022IERCD was recognized with the Outstanding Community Partner Award for providing and sustaining project-based learning, faculty-student research activities, student learning resources, internships and employment opportunities. Staff serve as guest lecturers and are represented on campus-based committees.
• California Department of ConservationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019IERCD is a block grant recipient of the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity (RFFC) program administered through the Department of Conservation. This program has invested $7.12 million into the region since 2019, supporting forest and fire capacity projects in the San Bernardino Mountains and adjacent foothill communities.
• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIERCD works closely with NRCS (USDA) to address agricultural needs of service area residents. Both organizations collaborate on the increasing urbanization challenges in the Inland Empire. NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to landowners through this partnership, including disaster recovery programs for lands impacted by natural disasters.
• US Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with US Forest Service on natural resource management and conservation efforts within the district service area, addressing shared environmental challenges.
• US Army Corps of EngineersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on water resource management and environmental projects within the Inland Empire region.
• California Department of Fish and GameminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on wildlife habitat preservation and conservation efforts in the region.
• San Gorgonio Pass Water AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Know Your Water education program. IERCD delivers environmental education on hydrology and water conservation to schools within the Agency's service area (Calimesa, Beaumont, Banning, and Cabazon). Topics include the water cycle, State Water Project, and groundwater recharge.
• San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Know Your Water education program. IERCD delivers education on water management and conservation to schools within the Conservation District's service area (Redlands, Loma Linda, Highland, and San Bernardino).
• Arrowbear Lake Fire DepartmentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSubgrantee through IERCD's Forest and Fire Community Capacity Sub-Grant Program. Awarded funding to increase Fire Chief capacity from part-time to full-time to enhance wildfire resiliency.
• High Desert Emergency Action AllianceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSubgrantee through IERCD's Forest and Fire Community Capacity Sub-Grant Program. Funded to provide a Regional Coordinator and Defensible Space Assessor for eastern Riverside County.
• City of Loma LindaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSubgrantee through IERCD's Forest and Fire Community Capacity Sub-Grant Program. Awarded funding to develop the City's first Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
• Wildwood Watchers Fire Safe CouncilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSubgrantee through IERCD's Forest and Fire Community Capacity Sub-Grant Program. Awarded funding to increase fire safe council capacity through insurance coverage, training, and resource management.
• San Bernardino Mountains Land TrustminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSubgrantee through IERCD's Forest and Fire Community Capacity Sub-Grant Program. Awarded funding for capacity building through volunteer engagement to address Goldspotted Oak Borer on the Pebble Plain Ecological Reserve.
• Devore Rural Communities Fire Safe CouncilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSubgrantee through IERCD's Forest and Fire Community Capacity Sub-Grant Program. Awarded funding to establish fire safe council as non-profit and host community engagement events.
• Shiishongna Tongva TribeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubgrantee through IERCD's Forest and Fire Community Capacity Sub-Grant Program. Awarded funding to revitalize ancestral land management practices by establishing a cultural burn program.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy (California): National conservation nonprofit with significant California operations on land protection, climate resilience, and water. A much larger incumbent that competes for some of the same philanthropic and federal funding pools as IERCD.
• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit focused on land conservation, parks, and community conservation programs. Comparable mission overlap on conservation easements and parks, with substantially larger scale and reach than IERCD.
• California Association of Resource Conservation Districts (CARCD): Statewide trade association for all California RCDs providing training, advocacy, and funding-program administration. A broader incumbent that shapes the regulatory and grant landscape in which IERCD operates.

Direct peers

• Coachella Valley Resource Conservation District: California RCD serving the Coachella Valley with conservation, agriculture, and education programs. Comparable in legal structure (Division 9 special district), grant reliance, and program categories.
• Antelope Valley Resource Conservation District: Southern California RCD offering habitat restoration, education, and fire-resilience programming under the same California Public Resources Code framework. Directly comparable mandate and program portfolio.
• Riverside-Corona Resource Conservation District: Neighboring California RCD serving western Riverside County with overlapping habitat restoration, fire resilience, and education programs. Most directly comparable organization in mandate, funding sources, and program mix.
• Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA): Joint powers authority covering the same Santa Ana River Watershed on water resources, watershed planning, and environmental education. Overlapping jurisdiction and program emphasis on water and habitat make it a strong functional peer.
• Rivers & Lands Conservancy: Riverside-based land trust operating in the same Inland Empire footprint on conservation easements, habitat restoration, and community education. Closely comparable mission and service geography; recognized IERCD with its 2023 Environmental Excellence Award.
• San Diego River Conservancy: California state conservancy focused on river/watershed conservation, habitat restoration, and education. Comparable in mission and the use of public funding to deliver conservation outcomes across a defined geographic basin.

Regional players

• Sacramento Valley Conservancy: California land trust operating on habitat conservation, education, and mitigation banking in Northern California. Comparable programmatic model (conservation + education), but geographically separate from IERCD's Inland Empire footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHjrKHFbnUrS6POnb_4IILQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/InlandEmpireRCD

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Inland Empire Resource Conservation District