Kings River Land Trust (KRLT or Trust) is an IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to safeguard the Kings River and its lands for future generations. In 1998, individuals serving on the City of Reedley’s Rails to Trails Committee conceived the Trust, and in February of 1999 the organization was created.
The founders recognized landowners of the most precious resources in the region needed an advocate and the tools to help them achieve their conservation goals and educate the public which consists of socioeconomically underprivileged communities. The Trust serves the Kings River Watershed, specifically the residents of Fresno, Tulare, and Kings counties, by placing land in permanent agricultural and riparian conservation easements to protect the land from harmful development.
The decreasing aquifer in the Kings River watershed is troubling. Currently more groundwater is being pumped from the Kings Basin aquifer on an average annual basis than is replenished naturally or artificially. With the current drought, the aquifer levels are even more dire. This problem, and the imbalance of absentee vs. family-led farming operations, leaves the Kings River and its surrounding land even more vulnerable to over development and short-term endeavors. According to Edward Thompson, Jr., of the American Farmland Trust, in his 2009 report, “If current development trends continue, 1.3 million acres of California agricultural land, including 670,000 acres of prime, unique and statewide important farmland, will be developed by 2050.”
KRLT is governed by a board of directors that have deep agricultural roots and natural resource experience throughout the Central Valley. The directors are all residents of the Kings River area who understand and appreciate the long-term benefits and challenges of maintaining the Kings River in a manner that supports its thriving agricultural and natural resources. Many of the directors are current or retired college or high school instructors who bring valuable insights to our work and community.
Our conservation efforts and the treasure that is the Kings River are unknown to much of the population we serve. This knowledge gap threatens the agricultural landscape along the river and the ability of the Trust to permanently protect these important lands. Educating all ages is the key to saving this threatened region from environmentally harmful development.