RESOURCE RENEWAL INSTITUTE

FISH IN THE FIELDS - ARKANSAS: AN ECOLOGICAL SOLUTION FOR RESILIENT RICE CULTIVATION.FISH IN THE FIELDS (FIF) INTEGRATES RICE FARMING AND FISH CULTIVATION TO PROMOTE BIODIVERSITY, PRODUCE SUSTAINABLE PROTEIN, IMPROVE CARBON CYCLING, AND STRENGTHEN AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES. IT IS A MODERN, CLIMATE-SMART ADAPTATION OF AN AGE-OLD PRACTICERECOGNIZED BY THE UN AS A GLOBALLY IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE SYSTEM. FIF IS DESIGNED TO WORK SEAMLESSLY WITH CONVENTIONAL RICE GROWING PRACTICES. AFTER HARVEST, FISH ARE INTRODUCED INTO FALLOW FLOODED RICE FIELDS, WHERE THEY GROW RAPIDLY IN THESE PLANKTON-RICH ENVIRONMENTS. FIF IS PROVING THAT WINTER RICE FIELDS ARE HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE SYSTEMS FOR RAISING FISH, AND THE INTRODUCTION OF SMALL FISH IMPROVES NUTRIENT CYCLING. IN 2022, WE EXPANDED THE FIF PROJECT FROM CA TO AR. IN 2025, WE LAUNCHED A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH ISBELL FARMS LUCKY CATCH A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE THAT PRODUCES DEHYDRATED PET TREATS FROM SUSTAINABLY RAISED FIF MINNOWS.

PUBLIC LANDSRESTORE POINT REYES NATIONAL SEASHORE: ADVOCATING FOR THE PUBLIC AND WILDLIFE IN A BELOVED NATIONAL PARK.AFTER A DECADE OF ADVOCACY, RRI CELEBRATED A LANDMARK SETTLEMENT TO END NEARLY ALL COMMERCIAL RANCHING WITHIN THE SEASHORE BY 2026, PAVING THE WAY FOR LARGE-SCALE RESTORATION, IMPROVED VISITOR ACCESS, AND PUBLIC RECREATION. OUR AGREEMENT WITH NPS AND 18 RANCH LEASEHOLDERS RESULTED IN A SETTLEMENT TO WIND DOWN CATTLE OPERATIONS ON 17,000 ACRES OF PARKLAND. ONCE THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT HAVE BEEN MET, OUR LAWSUIT WILL BE DISMISSED. WE ARE DEVELOPING AND COORDINATING THE TRANSITION SUPPORT PLAN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, PROVIDING PAYMENTS TO DISPLACED RANCH WORKERS AND TENANTS WHOM WE ADVOCATED FOR FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS. WE HELPED SECURE A 2.7M. GRANT TO FUND INFRASTRUCTURE REMOVAL INCLUDING MILES OF BARBED-WIRE FENCING AND TO PLAN FOR HABITAT RESTORATION AND MONITORING ACROSS AN INITIAL 3,000 ACRES OF DEGRADED PARKLANDS. WE'RE WORKING WITH TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS, PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, AND LEGISLATIVE LEADERS TO SECURE MORE RESTORATION FUNDING.COLLABORATION AND ENGAGEMENT: LOCAL AND GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS.RRI CONTINUES TO LEAD IN COALITION BUILDING AND POLICY INFLUENCE AT THE REGIONAL, STATE, AND GLOBAL LEVELS. RRI STAFF CO-LED CALIFORNIA'S DELEGATION AT THE UN BIODIVERSITY CONFERENCE IN SANTIAGO DE CALI, COLOMBIA. CLOSER TO HOME, WE WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MANY STATE AND LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT STRENGTHEN SCIENCE-BASED ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY WHILE AMPLIFYING RRI'S LEADERSHIP, REPUTATION, AND REACH. WE CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE WITH A WIDE RANGE OF GROUPS: CALIFORNIA GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY ALLIANCE, POWER IN NATURE COALITION, CALIFORNIA BIODIVERSITY NETWORK, CALIFORNIA PUBLIC LANDS NETWORK, CALIFORNIA AQUACULTURE COALITION, CALIFORNIA BYCATCH COALITION, BAY DELTA TRIBAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATIVE COALITION, ENDANGERED SPECIES COALITION, GREENLATINOS PUBLIC LANDS AND OCEAN COLLECTIVE, ROADLESS RULE DEFENSE COALITION, AMERICAN THE BEAUTIFUL FOR ALL COALITION, GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR THE RIGHTS OF NATURE (NORTH AMERICAN HUB).