Introducing: Tule Trust Talks SERIES
INTRODUCING: TULE TRUST TALKS
A new series highlighting the people behind the Tule Basin Land & Water Conservation Trust.
From the staff to volunteers, we’ll hear about their background, and we'll get down-to-earth details on their involvement, and why they're so passionate about Tule Trust.
For this month’s talk, we sat down with Susan Long, executive director of the Tule Trust, and long-time advocate for ag and communities in the Valley.
Susan, tell me about your background.
Susan Long: Central Valley-born and raised, I knew I needed to advocate for this way of life all the way back in high school. The camaraderie and pride in hard work in these ag communities was incredible. I took part as a high schooler, and was never eager to leave the small town life, like so many of my friends were. I wanted to contribute to the community, giving back everything I’d received growing up. So, I went off to college, being the first in my family to do so. Hard work was fine with me, but an education would help me provide even more. So, I set out to pursue an Ag Education degree, thanks to the positive influence of my high school ag teacher, whose classes were invaluable to me.
I knew I needed to advocate for this way of life all the way back in high school. The camaraderie and pride in hard work in these ag communities was incredible.
What was your career trajectory like?
Susan Long: After completing my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Business Administration, I found I’d still learned more from ag courses and hands-on farm work. The specific soil knowledge I gained helped me land a job in housing with the City of Corcoran, leading to a 25-year career in affordable housing—much of which was served at Self-Help Enterprises, assisting farm-related workers achieve homeownership. After 25 wonderful years of helping others achieve their dreams, I was ready for a change, and applied to the Tule Trust’s Program Director position: a perfect combination of agriculture (my first love), federal and state funding, program and project development, and collaboration between groups in the Subbasin to gain groundwater sustainability.
At Self-Help Enterprises, I worked closely with individuals throughout the Valley as their wells dried up during the drought, working with State and local government agencies to develop programs and provide water for households as they awaited funding and the drilling of a new domestic well.
Water. That’s a big deal—and has been for as far back as most of us can remember.
Susan Long: Yes, water has always been a major topic in our farming communities. It was either never enough or far too much, and it’s created economic challenges for farmers and farm workers annually. But no one’s given up during drought or flood, because this is home—and a way of life we don’t want to leave.
How did the Tule Trust come about?
Susan Long: The seven-year drought forced major changes in California. The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) was developed, which called for the creation of Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs), often made up of several irrigation districts, who needed to create a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) to restore the years of groundwater overdraft and create groundwater sustainability for the future of our rural communities and farms. Without specific guidance, each GSA outlined their sustainability plan. But because all the water comes from the same aquifer managed by multiple agencies, disagreements quickly began. During this time, the Pixley Irrigation District proactively began implementing allocation reductions, taking land out of production, and developing programs that would help soften the landing for local farmers as they navigated SGMA, resulting in the development of the Tule Basin Land and Water Conservation Trust.
Formed in April 2020 as a non-profit 501(c)(3), the Tule Trust mission is to protect and preserve natural and agricultural open space for the people and wildlife of the southern San Joaquin Valley. Under the direction of Dan Vink of Six-33 Solutions and Eric Limas, Manager of Pixley Irrigation District, a Board of Directors was formed to obtain funding for projects, programs, and a 475-acre restoration project.
There are a lot of discussions around those projects and programs (and their funding). Can you give more details?
Susan Long: The 475-acre Capinero Creek habitat restoration project, funded through the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) Central Valley Project (CVP) provided the funding for the Trust to purchase the property from Pixley Irrigation District and cover most of the cost of restoration. Simultaneously, Pixley Irrigation District successfully obtained funding from the Department of Conservation for a Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP), to create a core plan for the Tule Subbasin that identifies project opportunities and funding for land likely to be taken out of production. Tule Trust, as a partner, received funding under MLRP for capacity building, which allowed the Trust to hire me as its first employee as a Program Director in January 2023.
Beyond the funding with BOR for Capinero Creek, the Trust also secured funding for the development of a Sustainable Agriculture Land Conservation program and a Watershed Coordinator, making the need to hire immediate.
The first year included attending 60+ meetings, while developing internal policies, securing our own office and hiring two additional staff members, while deploying our second year of the Land Fallowing/Cover Crop Program, developing the Ag Advisory Committee, and moving Capinero Creek forward in preparation for native seed and container plants to go in the ground in Fall 2024.
Our goal [is] to provide an environment that supports our valued way of life as a farming community, while creating water security for small rural communities, and restoring natural habitats and open space that can be enjoyed for generations to come.
What’s happening now—what can readers do to help?
Susan Long: The MLRP program is in full swing, despite setbacks from last year’s floods. The additional time, however, provided us to take another view of the area’s needs, with focus not only on groundwater sustainability, but flood management that will aid in groundwater sustainability.
As we continue to provide support, opportunities, and solutions to our farmers to meet the State Water Resource Control Board’s SGMA demands, it is our goal to provide an environment that supports our valued way of life as a farming community, while creating water security for small rural communities, and restoring natural habitats and open space that can be enjoyed for generations to come.
This future is only possible if we work together. The Tule Trust, despite its drive, determination, and commitment, still needs support from local farmers, resource agencies, and donors like you to bring the mission to fruition. Help us keep our farmers feeding America!
Every acre we protect and restore begins with you!
Donate today to keep our work going.
The Tule Basin Land and Water Conservation Trust is a 501(c)3 dedicated to protecting the southern San Joaquin Valley’s incredible natural resources and preserving a viable farming economy for the future generations.
