News & Insights

RLF Welcomes Gina McCarthy to its Board of Directors

September 7, 2023

PRESS RELEASE: Resources Legacy Fund (RLF), a California-based environmental nonprofit organization, welcomes Gina McCarthy to its board of directors. McCarthy served as the first-ever White House National Climate Advisor in the Biden administration and was U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator in the Obama administration. RLF works to solve the crises of climate change, loss of healthy ecosystems and biodiversity, and environmental injustice by partnering with diverse leaders and communities on the frontlines of those fights. “I support the important work that RLF engages in to protect people and nature and applaud their excellent track record of success,” said Gina…

Topics: RLF

Evaluation Underscores Value of Collaborative, Community-Driven Parks Building Model

July 26, 2023

People need parks. Parks improve physical and mental health, strengthen family and community relationships, reduce youth crime and violence, enhance neighborhood pride and identity, provide economic benefits, decrease health care costs, increase biodiversity, improve air quality, reduce runoff and water pollution, reduce temperatures, mitigate climate change, foster an environmental ethic, and more. Unfortunately, access to these body-mind-community benefits is wildly inequitable. For decades, Black, Brown, and low-income communities have faced historic disenfranchisement and oppression from redlining and other policies that have led to chronic social, economic, and environmental stressors such as poverty, violence, and pollution. California is finally changing its…

Topics: Healthy Communities , Public Funding , Social Equity

We need federal leadership on wildfire and smoke safety

July 19, 2023

In the last few weeks, the Midwest and East Coast have faced a reality the West has experienced for years: thick, sticky, and hazardous wildfire smoke settling into cities and millions of people’s lungs; cancelled school days, flights, and sports events; thousands of people becoming sick. And all against the backdrop of foreboding orange skies, like we experienced here in Northern California in September 2020. Wildfire smoke goes where the wind blows, disregarding geographic boundaries, crossing the “aisle,” and affecting everyone—but it disproportionately impacts pregnant women, people with respiratory health issues like asthma, and older, and very young people. All…

Topics: Climate Resilience , Healthy Communities , Policy

World Ocean’s Day and a Milestone for Equitable Access in California

June 7, 2023

"It's like we're introducing them to their own backyard. What struck me when I first came on was that some of these kids have lived here (San Diego) all their lives; they're only 15 to 20 minutes away from the ocean, but they'd never been. There's this feeling of not belonging, especially if they don't see representation, so we are working toward ensuring everyone feels welcomed in these natural spaces." - Sunny Chang, youth programs manager at Outdoor Outreach. World Oceans Day, June 8, reminds us of the role the ocean plays in our lives. It’s a great day to…

Topics: Oceans , Social Equity

Listening to Grantees to Build a Better Organization

May 30, 2023

RLF is committed to advancing justice and equity as we pursue conservation, environmental, and climate solutions; expanding diversity in the environmental movement; and ensuring that our staff are buoyed by a sense of belonging as they engage in this important work. As an organization, we’ve been working hard to evolve our practices internally and externally—to show up with authenticity, compassion, and dedication; listen; and make sure the voices of historically underrepresented and/or excluded people are heard. To see how effective we’ve been, we asked our grantees—many of whom are on the frontlines of environmental injustice and the climate crisis—what they…

Topics: RLF

Climate Change Necessitates Stronger Safety Net for Farmworkers

March 31, 2023

On this day of remembrance for César Chávez—an advocate, alongside Dolores Huerta, for farmworker rights, social justice, and human dignity—Resources Legacy Fund would like to call attention to the critical role of farmworkers and the obligation to provide them a stronger safety net, especially in the face of worsening climate disaster. California agriculture is a $50 billion industry, which relies heavily upon the 160,000+ farmworkers who plant, tend, and harvest crops. The majority of farmworkers in California are undocumented and lack access to health insurance, unemployment benefits, and many other state and federal safety net programs. As the catastrophic impacts…

Topics: Climate Resilience , Healthy Communities , Policy , Social Equity

Documentary Spotlights Dam Removal Partnerships

March 24, 2023

To celebrate its first five years of work, Open Rivers Fund—a program of Resources Legacy Fund, launched in November 2016 with a 10-year, $50-million investment from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation—worked with film director Jason Jaacks to produce a documentary highlighting several dynamic dam removal projects and partnerships that are reshaping waterways across the American West. The 15-minute documentary, “Restoring Our Rivers: Communities Taking Action,” premiered on Thursday, March 23 at the Washington, DC Environmental Film Festival. The film takes a look at aging dams and the problems they cause, answering a question made increasingly urgent by climate change: How…

Topics: Indigenous Rights , Watersheds

We Must Invest More in Climate Adaptation

February 15, 2023

As California communities begin to recover after a series of atmospheric rivers caused death and immense economic damages nearly state-wide, we must reckon with the need to increase investment in climate change adaptation and resilience. The Newsom Administration’s proposed 2023-2024 budget, released two weeks ago, maintains significant funding for fighting climate change and protecting communities from its impacts.  Yet it still reflects difficult decisions to decrease funding for extreme heat and community resilience, nature-based solutions, coastal resilience, and other strategies that help us adapt to the climate impacts already upon us. While the Governor seeks additional sources of funding from…

Topics: Climate Resilience , Policy , Public Funding

Indigenous-led Conservation in the International Spotlight

January 10, 2023

The last few years have brought a cascade of stories about the decline of the natural world. Yet amid the grim news, a bright spot shines through. Lands managed by Indigenous Peoples tend to be healthier and more vibrant than other areas, according to several major studies. In fact, 80 percent of the world’s remaining biodiversity is on lands cared for by Indigenous Peoples.  The power of Indigenous-led conservation took center stage at the UN Biodiversity Summit in Montreal in December. Known as COP15, the summit was a once-in-a-decade negotiation aimed at reversing the perilous decline of animals, plants, and…

Topics: Indigenous Rights , Land Conservation

Dos Rios—Much-Needed, Long-Awaited Park for the San Joaquin Valley

August 22, 2022

California officials recently announced the creation of the first new state park since 2009: Dos Rios Ranch, at the confluence of the Tuolumne and San Joaquin Rivers, near the San Joaquin National Wildlife Refuge. The announcement was remarkable, but not only because of the long interval since the last park opening in a state whose park system is the largest in the nation (with its 279 state park units, over 340 miles of coastline, 970 miles of lake and river frontage, 15,000 campsites, 5,200 miles of trails, 3,195 historic buildings and more than 11,000 known prehistoric and historic archaeological sites).…

Topics: Healthy Communities , Land Conservation , Parks , RLF , Social Equity

Let’s meet this setback with resolve: Reflections on the SCOTUS EPA decision

July 1, 2022

Note from RLF President Avi Garbow to staff and board after the Supreme Court’s EPA ruling on June 30, 2022. Yesterday, the United States Supreme Court issued an opinion in West Virginia v. EPA, and by a 6-3 vote, severely restricted EPA’s authority under the federal Clean Air Act to control emissions from coal-fired power plants, the largest-emitting stationary sources fueling our climate crisis. This ruling deals a blow to federal efforts to address a worsening crisis that affects us all, with broad ramifications for generations to come. The lengthy opinion rests upon the majority’s view that the EPA’s exercise…

Topics: Climate Resilience , Energy , RLF

Reflections on DEI progress in the workplace

May 11, 2022

When I reflect on the past year of RLF’s progress advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace, I’d describe it as a year of questioning. Our human resources (HR) team has been questioning our day to day work—why have we been doing things the way we do? What practices should we change to better align with our values and promote DEI? How can we attract qualified candidates of all backgrounds and support equity in hiring? We found opportunities to make changes at almost every step of the recruiting process and will continue to make improvements in the coming…

Topics: RLF , Social Equity

Ocean Advocates Speak Passion to Policy

March 30, 2022

California Ocean Day was back on March 29, 2022, for its 17th year, and second year as a virtual event. Over 300 advocates convened to hear from speakers and panelists and meet with more than 100 state elected officials to bring more awareness and urgency to a wide range of issues facing California’s coast and ocean. Hosted by Resources Legacy Fund partners Azul, Environmental California, and the Surfrider Foundation, each year Ocean Day brings together individuals and organizations from around the state to share their concerns and offer ideas for improved ocean protection.   As a changing climate continues to…

Topics: Indigenous Rights , Oceans , Policy

Hands across the sand, copyright Heal the Bay

“An inescapable network of mutuality”

January 19, 2022

Note from RLF President Avi Garbow to staff on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service 2022. As I come to the end of my first week with you all, and as we remember and honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday’s holiday and day of service, I wanted to share some reflections on the meaning of our work, our purpose, and our opportunities to participate in the building of Dr. King’s vision of a beloved community: On Christmas Eve, 1967, on the pulpit at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered what would…

Topics: RLF , Social Equity

Thoughts of Gratitude and Hope

January 6, 2022

As Avi Garbow prepares to take over as the new president of Resources Legacy Fund, I find myself filled with confidence in his leadership, excitement for the future, and a profound sense of gratitude for all the people I have been privileged to work with: my RLF colleagues and board members and our partners, funders, and grantees. Without these relationships RLF’s significant impact and impressive evolution over the years simply would not have been possible. I have learned over and again from you. I am grateful for the vision of the Packard Foundation that led to RLF’s creation more than…

Topics: Climate Resilience , Indigenous Rights , Policy , RLF , Social Equity

Announcement: Resources Legacy Fund Welcomes Avi Garbow as New President

November 18, 2021

Resources Legacy Fund is pleased and proud to welcome Avi Garbow as its new president. Garbow is a nationally recognized environmental leader, lawyer, and advocate with decades of experience tackling many of the most critical threats to our air, water, and lands. He takes over from Michael Mantell, who founded RLF more than 20 years ago. Most recently, Garbow served as Patagonia’s first Environmental Advocate, providing strategic leadership and vision to the company’s robust environmental advocacy efforts. He took on a temporary assignment in the Biden administration, as senior counselor to the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),…

Topics: RLF , Social Equity

A Personal and Organizational Mandate for a Just and Equitable Future

June 24, 2021

My 70-year-old mother recently told me about a friend of hers who started walking with a cane, not to steady her gait, but to fend off potential attackers. Though my mom isn’t quite ready to carry a would-be-weapon, she said she chooses her daily walking routes with more care these days. As an Asian American woman, anecdotes like these make me incredibly sad and angry. I immigrated to the United States when I was nine years old but consider myself an American. My English is far more fluent than my Korean, and during hot summer days, it’s burgers on the…

Topics: RLF , Social Equity

Kua'āina Ulu ʻAuamo (KUA)

Leading by Listening: Bold Steps Forward for Hawai‘i’s Ocean

June 22, 2021

This year, on World Ocean Day, Hawai‘i set an example for the rest of the world about how to take action to restore abundance to its spectacular coastlines, well-loved reefs, and deeply valued marine life. Governor David Ige signed nine bills that advance new ocean protections for Hawai’i, including new revenue sources for restoration and management: a visitor fee on commercial ocean tours to fund restoration and conservation (HB 1019), fishing licenses for nonresidents (HB 1021), and new policies like shark protection (HB 553), adaptive management (HB 1020) and inspection authority for conservation officers to strengthen enforcement of existing laws…

Topics: Biodiversity , Oceans

Malibu Creek State Park

Biden’s Conservation Commitment Much More Than A Climate Solution

May 7, 2021

The United States is facing a multitude of crises: climate change, species extinction, languishing public health, racial and economic inequity, and the legacies of colonialism. These crises were destined to collide, which is why resolving them demands an integrated problem-solving approach. President Biden’s launch on May 6 of an ambitious national initiative to conserve and restore 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030 (“30x30”) is an important contribution to solving the problems our nation and world have incubated over the past two centuries. We’re at a tipping point, and that is why the ambitious 10-year goals of this…

Topics: Biodiversity , Climate Resilience , Policy

Fishing boats in Chile

From Ruin to Resilience: Supporting Global Fisheries’ Sustainability amid Pandemic

April 14, 2021

Marine fisheries generate a critical protein source for more than a billion people worldwide, and an often irreplaceable source of income for developing-world communities exporting to international markets. Yet poor fisheries management frequently results in habitat destruction and overfishing, depleting stocks and steadily raising the costs to land each kilogram of fish.[1] The need for a new paradigm for global fisheries management and trade—built on science-based catch limits and basic labor standards for all industry participants—was urgent before the Covid-19 pandemic. Today the situation is even more dire. As a result of the pandemic and stringent public health measures, small-scale…

Topics: Fisheries , Oceans

RLF Statement of Solidarity with AAPI Communities

April 2, 2021

RLF stands with the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities to condemn senseless violence and bigotry rooted in racism and xenophobia. According to Stop AAPI Hate, Asian Americans have been victims of more than 3,800 hate crimes across the country during the past year, fanned by the racist rhetoric of the former president who called COVID-19 the “Chinese” virus (among other slurs). These hateful acts are unacceptable. Anti-Asian hate crimes have been reported right in our backyard—elderly Asian men have been beaten and killed in broad daylight in the Bay Area in separate attacks—and gained national attention in Georgia…

Topics: RLF

RLF Statement on Events of January 5-6, 2021

January 6, 2021

Today has been an extraordinary and scary day in American history, its developments generating feelings across an unimaginably broad emotional spectrum. We have been riveted, watching unprecedented violence in the nation’s capital (and, literally, in its Capitol building) that was driven by at best disingenuous and arguably seditious actions, taken at the highest levels of government. This jaw-dropping, mesmerizing spectacle almost eclipsed events of the last 24 hours in Georgia. Almost, but not quite. For in Georgia we are once again able to celebrate the effectiveness of fair and inclusive elections, led by dedicated, strategic grass roots organizing and advocacy…

Topics: Policy , RLF , Social Equity

Kids with binoculars, from Outdoor Outreach

Tomorrow’s Solutions Will be Found Where Issues Intersect

December 14, 2020

The lessons of 2020 are harsh and profound: science and leadership matter, resilient natural systems are essential to our health and security, and we have a long way to go on racial equity. As much as we all wish for 2021 to usher in a new era of hope and positive change, the work to achieve that reality is up to us.  The last nine months have made clear that we need to think about and solve our problems in different ways. If we are to ensure a just and resilient future in which people and nature thrive, we must…

Topics: Philanthropy , Policy , RLF , Social Equity

Kwoneesum Dam

Partnership and Vision Restoring Abundance to Tomorrow’s Rivers

December 3, 2020

In the last few years, we’ve witnessed what is becoming a profound change across the American West. Obsolete dams are coming down. Streams are being restored. Tribes are reconnecting with the fish runs of their ancestors. Irrigation diversions are easier to manage. And water is cleaner.   If one follows the water through our nation’s rivers, the removal of these dams might look like isolated incidents. But the individual acts are adding up to a significant whole, and momentum is growing. Change like this doesn’t happen overnight. It takes careful planning, prudent investment, smart partnerships, and effective tools.   Thanks to…

Topics: Indigenous Rights , Watersheds

Resource Legacy Fund

About

Our Work

Partnerships

Contact