The North West Kern RCD consists of 744, 800 acres.  The Eastern area encompasses the lower reaches of Poso Creek.  Starting in the general areas of Knob Hill on the South and Mt. Poso on the North, Poso Creek runs through the northern portion of the district in a Northwesterly direction and outlets into the Kern National Wildlife Refuge.  The western boundary is coterminous with the San Luis Obispo County line for 12 miles and also parallels the drainage trough of the valley for approximately 45 miles south from the Kern-Kings County line. The north is bounded by Kings and Tulare Counties. The most southern part of the RCD is bounded by the City of Taft.

Board Members

  • Gabriel Giesick

    President

  • Jim Grundt

    Vice President

  • Bryan Bone

    Secretary/Treasurer

  • Craig Fulwyler

    Director

  • Matthew Haddon

    Director

  • Don Palla

    Director

  • John Gebhardt

    Director

  • Brian Hockett

    District Manager

  • Beth Hilbe

    Assistant Manager

Our History

On February 28, 1940, the Governor of the State of California approved an act adding Division 9 to the Public Resources Code, whereby landowners were permitted to cooperatively organize Soil Conservation Districts to serve private and non-Federal lands.  In 1972, the State Legislature amended the act to change the names of Soil Conservation Districts to Resource Conservation Districts.

The Pond-Poso RCD was authorized by the Kern County Board of Supervisors on June 16, 1969.  The Shafter-Wasco RCD was organized by public referendum on July 12, 1960, and the Kern County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution authorizing the district on July 25, 1960.

On March 31, 1980, the Pond-Poso RCD and the Shafter-Wasco RCD consolidated as the Pond-Shafter-Wasco RCD.

The Buena Vista Resource Conservation District, was formed in June 1960 under the original name of Buena Vista Soil Conservation District, which was then changed in 1963 to the Buena Vista Soil and Water Conservation District, and finally to Buena Vista Resource Conservation District in 1972.

On September 15, 1981, the Western Kern Resource Conservation District was formed.

On September 28, 2004, the Pond-Shafter-Wasco RCD, Buena Vista RCD and the Western Kern RCD consolidated to become the North West Kern RCD.

In May of 1963, the Rosedale-Rio Bravo Resource Conservation District was formed.

On February 20, 2019, the North West Kern Resource Conservation District annexed the Rosedale-Rio Bravo Resource Conservation District, maintaining the same name, but adding land for a total of 744,800 acres.