Annual Rural West Conference explores the Central Valley’s potential for building a climate-resilient future

Fresno, CA – February 26-27, 2025

With economies relying largely on agriculture, ranching, forestry and extraction – industries not traditionally known for sustainable production -- the rural American West has been facing a climate change reckoning. Rising temperatures and extreme weather events are depleting natural resources, and the health of Western lands and people are at risk. Yet while the threat to rural life is real, innovations in technology, resource management and community engagement are encouraging signs that the rural West is evolving and adapting.

The Bill Lane Center has long been interested in driving policy, technology and economic developments that will help rural communities build a sustainable future, even as the climate crisis looms large. Since 2012, along with partners in research, industry and government, the Center has been convening annual conferences across the region that strive to bridge the gap between research and action. In bringing together scholars, policymakers, and practitioners, powerful conversations have led to powerful collaborations and problem-solving.

This year was no exception. On February 26 and 27, 2025, the Bill Lane Center hosted the 11th Annual Eccles Family Rural West Conference with the California Water Institute and The Maddy Institute. Scholars, policymakers, and community leaders gathered at California State University, Fresno to address the Central Valley’s evolving role in climate adaptation, agriculture, water management, health, and rural economic development. The entire conference was recorded, and all panels and featured speakers can be viewed by visiting the event page on our website. 

With the theme "People and Places: Unlocking the Central Valley’s Potential in California’s Climate Future," discussions focused on how rural communities can lead in climate resilience, renewable energy, sustainable land use, and more. Over the course of two days, featured speakers and five expert panels showcased a rich tapestry of perspectives on critical issues that will shape the future of Central Valley communities and the state of California as a whole.

Panel 1: “Transitions on Working Lands – Economic Impact and Community Engagement”

The two-day workshop consisted of five panels, with the opening panel focused on economic and cultural shifts facing working lands in the Central Valley. Panelists from diverse sectors discussed the economic implications of transitioning agricultural practices, emphasizing the need for sustainable methods that balance productivity with environmental stewardship. They highlighted the importance of engaging local communities in decision-making processes to ensure that transitions benefit both the economy and the residents.

Moderator Ashley Swearengin, president and CEO of the Central Valley Community Foundation, set the stage by describing her recent efforts to create a regional investment plan fostering sustainable economic and community development in the San Joaquin Valley, which has long been a land-based economy.  Prompted by a jobs initiative launched by Governor Newsom, Swearengin and her colleagues at the Community Foundation realized it was time to back away from the traditional model of economic development and start strategizing around job opportunities for the new climate economy – a “resources-based economy,” as Swearengin characterized it. Speakers on this panel have been working with Swearengin in different capacities to support this economic transition.

“It became very clear that…our natural resources, our open space, our natural working lands -- what’s happening outside our cities is going to determine whether or not we’re here for another 100, 200 years,” she said. Living, working and sustaining life in the Central Valley would require a pivot to this new, resources-based framework that she presented to Governor Newsom in November of 2024 in the form of the Sierra-San Joaquin Jobs Initiative Regional Investment Plan (S2J2).

It became very clear that…our natural resources, our open space, our natural working lands -- what’s happening outside our cities is going to determine whether or not we’re here for another 100, 200 years. - Ashley Swearengin

Taking the floor next was Roman Rain Tree, the Tribal liaison for the S2J2 Tribal initiative. A member of both the Dunlap Band of Mono Indians and the Choinumni tribe, and chief impact officer of the indigenous empowerment organization Seeds of Sovereignty, Rain Tree is a community advocate and organizer. He provided insights to conference attendees on Indigenous land stewardship, stressing the importance of tribal sovereignty and economic self-sufficiency.

“When we talk about land, it’s a relative. It’s a member of the family,” Rain Tree told audiences.

And yet, despite this traditional closeness to the land, some tribes in the Central Valley still aren’t federally recognized. As such, they don’t have access to their ancestral homeland and cannot focus on community development. Only with tribal sovereignty, Rain Tree stressed, can these tribes have a land base on which they can build their own economies and establish self-reliance. S2J2 has empowered indigenous communities to come together with other stakeholders and voice these concerns.

David Shabazian, the most recent former director of the California Department of Conservation, spoke next, offering the audience an economist’s perspective.  As a consultant to the Central Valley Community Foundation on the implementation of their Sierra-San Joaquin Jobs First Initiative, Shabazian gave remarks underscoring the importance of balancing economic viability with environmental sustainability when repurposing agricultural land. While much value is derived from rural working lands, “that ‘working’ part really is contingent upon the ‘natural’ part functioning well,” Shabazian stressed. He also noted that while regional planning often focuses on cities, with rural areas as an “after thought,” this idea needs to be flipped on its head to sustain a future so dependent on rural lands and resources.

Logan Robertson Huecker, the executive director of Sequoia Riverlands Trust, began her presentation by echoing the question others on her panel had asked: How can the Central Valley balance the urgent need for sustainability while preserving the agricultural heritage and economic stability of the region?

At the heart of her organization’s mission is conservation of working lands, supporting private landowners in protecting their farms and ranches. Huecker introduced the California Department of Conservation’s Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program, which is helping farmers transition land for water recharge, habitat restoration and other conservation efforts.

As panel one concluded, it became apparent that synchronizing economic and environmental goals is a complex undertaking, particularly when there are so many points of control. These cross-jurisdictional working lands are owned by state, local, public and private entities. A balancing act is required to meet climate objectives while simultaneously supporting the livelihoods of those dependent on the land.

Panel 2: “Tradeoffs in Scaling Renewable Energy and Carbon Removal”

What roles will bioenergy, hydrogen, and carbon capture play in California’s climate future? The second panel addressed this question with three speaker presentations. Moderator Samir Sheikh, an air pollution control officer at the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, opened by highlighting the significance of communities in finding solutions to climate challenges. With so many conflicting perspectives on the state’s climate future, it is imperative “to involve communities first and all the way through the process,” Sheikh said, “because when you ignore community perspective, and you don’t include communities as part of the thought process and the educational process…then you’re really, really missing the point.”

He then introduced Elizabeth Betancourt, natural working lands policy advisor at the California Department of Conservation. Betancourt’s presentation focused on state strategies for expanding renewable energy and enhancing carbon sequestration, particularly in rural communities. 

Given California’s rank as the largest state economy in nation, the severe climate challenges it faces will require large-scale, multi-benefit solutions, Betancourt said. She minced no words describing the state’s imperative to develop policies that not only mitigate climate change but also promote economic resilience, improved air quality, and sustainable resource management. “We need really big solutions here,” she acknowledged. 

A key theme of Betancourt’s presentation was the importance of a circular bioeconomy, in which renewable natural resources are utilized sustainably to support economic and environmental health. Rural areas, teeming with biomass and potential for carbon sequestration, are crucial to this transition. Biomass, organic material from plants and animals, can be burned directly for heat or converted to liquid and gaseous fuels through various processes. Betancourt covered the variety of ways in which biomass can be used, including energy generation, sustainable building materials, biofuels, and soil amendments, like biochar. And California supports these kinds of biomass projects through procurement mandates, financial incentives, and policies that facilitate bioenergy development, Betancourt said. The state is also exploring paths to long-term carbon sequestration, such as geologic storage and biochar applications, to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Moving from bioenergy to the cultivation of a viable hydrogen market, Betancourt handed off to Tyson Eckerle, senior advisor for clean infrastructure and mobility in the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), and chief government and strategy officer for the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES). Eckerle discussed hydrogen’s potential in the renewable, clean energy space.

The main topic he covered was the mission of ARCHES, a public-private partnership aimed at developing a sustainable, statewide, clean hydrogen economy in California. A critical energy carrier, hydrogen can decarbonize transportation, power generation, agriculture, and industrial processes. It also has the potential to enable long-term energy storage, which could facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources into the power grid.

With a 1.2-billion-dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, ARCHES and six other national hubs have been tasked with building out this resilient hydrogen market and ecosystem. Eckerle and colleagues at ARCHES have been calling for hydrogen production proposals and selecting projects with the greatest likelihood for success. Along with market viability, sustainability, and the provision of community benefits, stand-out projects also demonstrated the potential for a long-term market horizon, helping to support California’s 2045 target of complete carbon neutrality. So far, ARCHES has announced over 37 hydrogen production projects across California, with a focus on the Central Valley.

Finally, Celina Scott-Buechler rounded out the energy panel with a presentation on the importance of community engagement in climate mitigation infrastructure. Scott-Buechler is a JD-PhD candidate at Stanford Law School and in the Doerr School’s Emmett Interdisciplinary Program for Environment and Resources (E-IPER).

Her research underscores a crucial reality: without meaningful public involvement, large-scale climate projects face significant hurdles — including delays, cancellations, and local resistance.

Scott-Buechler’s data highlights that 49% of major infrastructure projects are canceled, while 34% face significant delays due to a lack of community buy-in. In her research on Direct Air Capture (DAC) in Kern County, she found that while many Bakersfield residents support such initiatives, they demand transparency, local job creation, and assurance that projects will not worsen existing environmental challenges, such as drought and pollution.

Large-scale climate projects must be designed with and for the communities they impact, Scott-Beuchler emphasized. Without tangible local benefits, concerns over fairness, transparency, and economic opportunity can derail even the most well-intentioned projects. Ultimately, successful climate innovation requires collaborative, continual engagement that respects local priorities and fosters trust between communities and developers — a lesson that will be vital as California and the broader American West transition toward a cleaner, more resilient energy future.

Panel 3: “Climate and Health – The Human Cost of Environmental Change”

Alex Sherriffs, fellow at the American Academy of Physicians and a professor of health sciences at the UCSF Fresno, opened the next panel with a stark warning about the dangers of air pollution in California’s Central Valley. His presentation, "Air Quality: The Central Valley’s Climate Future," highlighted the severe health consequences of the region’s persistent air quality problems and the urgent need for systemic changes to improve public health.

“The Valley really is ground zero for these problems, and also ground zero for solutions,” he said.

As a key corridor for the movement of goods, the San Joaquin Valley faces an unparalleled air quality challenge. Transportation — the largest source of combustion emissions — along with industrial activity, agriculture, and wildfires, contributes to high levels of both ozone and fine particle pollution. While air quality has improved over the past two decades due to regulatory efforts, the region remains one of the most polluted in the nation, and climate change is making conditions worse. “The pollution we make here stays here,” Sherriffs warned. Rising temperatures fuel ozone formation, while longer, more intense wildfire seasons lead to dangerous spikes in PM2.5.

The Valley really is ground zero for these problems, and also ground zero for solutions. - Alex Sherriffs

Sherriffs outlined the serious health risks associated with poor air quality, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions. He also emphasized the growing public health threat posed by wildfire smoke. People with preexisting conditions, pregnant women, outdoor workers, and low-income communities face the greatest risks.

Sherriffs concluded with a call to action for stronger policies, community engagement, and a shift away from combustion-based energy sources. “We are always making choices,” he reminded conference attendees, “and choices have consequences. Our daily choices matter.”

Next up was Trinidad Solis, deputy health officer for the Fresno County Department of Public Health. She presented alarming data on valley fever, a disease that thrives in dry, disturbed soils, disproportionately affecting farmworkers and outdoor laborers.

Valley fever is “climate sensitive,” Solis told the audience, affected by the Central Valley’s cycles of rain and drought. And across California, cases are increasing. A fungal disease, it is caused by spores found in soil, which can become airborne in wind, construction, or agricultural activities. Respiratory illness can develop if the spores are inhaled, and in severe cases, the disease spreads to other parts of the body.

The Fresno County Department of Public Health has launched several initiatives to combat the public health crisis, Solis shared. These include a valley fever prevention toolkit distributed to farming organizations, and a county Rural Mobile Health Program providing free medical services to agricultural workers and rural residents.

Last to speak on the health panel was Tekoah Kadara of the Allensworth Progressive Association (APA). Kadara, recognized as one of the “22 Black Leaders to Watch in 2022,” does work deeply rooted in community empowerment, environmental justice, and economic sustainability.

Allensworth, founded in 1908 as California’s first Black settlement, has long been a symbol of resilience and self-determination. However, over the years, the town has faced systemic environmental injustice, including contaminated water, poor air quality, soil degradation, and lack of essential services. Under the inspiring leadership of Kadara and his colleagues, APA is implementing climate-adaptive initiatives aimed at restoring the community’s health, sovereignty and sustainability.

At the heart of these efforts are programs designed to support environmental stewardship by teaching regenerative agriculture principles, pioneering agrivoltaics, restoring soil health, training beginning farmers, and preparing the next generation to sustainably manage their resources.

Allensworth faces severe water insecurity, with arsenic contamination levels exceeding the state’s safety limit. In collaboration with UC Berkeley’s Gadgil Lab, APA is piloting Air Cathode Assisted Iron Electrocoagulation (ACAIE) technology, aiming to create arsenic-free water kiosks for community-wide access. “Having affordable, clean water -- that’s huge for us,” Kadara said. “Because in Allensworth, you can’t drink the water. And all the kids have silver teeth.”

Kadara’s team is also working on lake restoration and water treatment facilities, leveraging recycled wastewater and hydrology management to improve groundwater sustainability. The APA envisions a “Civic & Resiliency Center,” where residents can go for heating and cooling services, medical care, fresh food, and vital community programming.

Beyond climate resilience, APA hopes to expand development in Allensworth through initiatives like cooperative farming and childcare, athletic-based learning, eco-tourism, and agro-tourism. Kadara also discussed creating a Community Land Trust to ensure that acquired land is preserved for Allensworth’s long-term benefit, supporting a model where residents own and govern their resources.

Through partnerships, education, and grassroots activism, the Allensworth Progressive Association is proving that sustainable, community-driven solutions are possible — even in the face of immense environmental and social adversity.

Panel 4: “Innovation and Sustainability in Our Food System”

To begin the fourth panel on innovation and sustainability in the food system, moderator Leigh Bernacchi of the University of California, Merced, called on the audience to take a serious look at the need for agricultural advancement in a world ravaged by climate change. Finding ways for agriculture to adapt to the times is not just an issue impacting growers, she began. Everyone has a stake in the game of shaping a more inclusive, adaptable, and sustainable rural economy.

“We are all involved in agriculture in some way,” she explained, “even if you’re just a consumer.” Venture capital and funds are not going to solve the Central Valley’s agricultural innovation problem – the gains aren’t great enough, she noted. Instead, she drew attention to the importance of public and coordinated engagement to create a resilient agricultural ecosystem.

At UC Merced’s Valley Institute for Sustainability, Technology & Agriculture (VISTA), Bernacchi is the executive director of VISTA F3. The initiative, designed to foster innovation “from farm to table” across the food system, supports agriculture in the Central Valley by developing new technology, growing food sustainably with regenerative farming, and offering cutting-edge job training in the world’s food production capital. 

Despite often being overlooked in discussions about innovation, farmers are the linchpin in the adoption of agricultural technology, Bernacchi said.  As critical actors in implementing new tools and practices on the ground, they are the crux of a sustainable and inclusive future, and their expertise and needs should not be ignored.

“Farmers are closer to the problem and closer to the solution, and so if we don’t focus on farmworkers as being a critical component of the food system that will help us adopt innovation and technology … then we are missing a whole swath of diversity and great solutions,” Bernacchi said. She urged investment in farmers’ future goals, giving them access to computers, childcare, and other competency-based education programs in agricultural technology.

Farmers are closer to the problem and closer to the solution. - Leigh Bernacchi

Another theme Bernacchi highlighted was the role of universities in the agricultural technology (agtech) ecosystem. She described institutions like UC Merced as "fountains of research and entrepreneurship" that can help create practical solutions for agriculture. These academic engines not only generate new ideas but also foster the next generation of innovators committed to serving rural and underserved communities.

M. Anne Visser, a professor of community and regional development in the Department of Human Ecology at UC Davis, spoke next.  She explored how automation and digital farming tools are reshaping labor markets and rural economies. For a long time, Visser has been “involved in this question of, if agtech is going to revolutionize the food system and agricultural enterprises and productions and economies, what does that actually mean? How do we prepare our labor forces, our work spaces, our policy systems” to encounter this kind of disruption “to a system that has been in place for a long period of time?”

The next two speakers then presented pioneering examples of agtech in action. First, Joshua McEnaney spoke next about his startup, Nitricity. The company makes climate-smart fertilizers with air, water, electricity, and biomaterials.

Traditional nitrogen fertilizers are a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for roughly seven percent of global emissions. Nitricity addresses this by using plant-based materials and renewable electricity to create sustainable, fast-acting nitrogen fertilizers — a transformative solution that aligns with both ecological responsibility and agricultural productivity. With Nitricity now a post-Series A startup, the company is preparing to open its first commercial plant in the Central Valley, a region at the heart of U.S. agriculture.

By reinventing the way fertilizers are made and delivered, McEnaney is working to reduce environmental harm while simultaneously meeting the needs of modern farmers. Nitricity is an example of advanced science meeting practical application to support a food system that is not only productive, but also regenerative and resilient.

Reza Ehsani continued the conversation by discussing his own agricultural innovations to improve farm efficiency. Ehsani is a professor of mechanical engineering at UC Merced where his research focuses on agricultural engineering systems, automation, and intelligent machines for high-value crop production and postharvest processes. His talk, "Sensors, AI, and Robotics for Crop Production Systems,” covered the development of AI-driven sensors to detect crop diseases and water stress.

Ehsani’s talk highlighted how emerging agricultural technologies are transforming the way growers produce food, allowing for the transition to more sustainable, efficient, and resilient farming practices.

He began by describing a turning point in agriculture in the late 1990s — the ability to create a yield map. By identifying yield variability within a field, farmers were able to ask critical questions: What causes these differences, and how can they be managed? This foundational concept launched the era of precision agriculture, where data became a tool to optimize everything from water and nutrients to pest control and profitability.

A highlight of Ehsani’s presentation was his work on Citrus Greening Disease (HLB) — a devastating illness that has crippled the citrus industry in Florida. To fight this, his team developed a robotic system equipped with hyperspectral sensors that detect early signs of disease long before they become visible. The technology consists of a robotic arm that collects electromagnetic data from tree leaves and builds a library of spectral patterns. Advanced software analyzes these patterns for anomalies, giving farmers a powerful tool to act early and protect their crops.

With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Ehsani is part of UC Merced’s inaugural team to lead a new, precision agriculture Engineering Research Center. Along with the University of Pennsylvania, Purdue University and the University of Florida, UC Merced received a $26 million, five-year NSF grant to conduct convergent research addressing large-scale societal problems. The newly-established Engineering Research Center (ERC) comprises a diverse team of faculty, students, and industry experts focused on creating cyber-physical systems that bridge the gap between agriculture, engineering, and environmental science.

To close, Ehsani emphasized the importance of training the next generation. California’s agricultural future depends on a workforce that understands how to operate, interpret, and improve the technologies driving modern farming. In short, the industry needs students who can speak both agriculture and technology.

Panel 5: “Whose Water Is It? Legal and Technical Issues in Water Recharge”

The final panelists at the Bill Lane Center’s 11th Annual Eccles Family Rural West Conference considered the ever-complicated story of water rights in the West, and the legal and policy challenges of groundwater recharge.

Titled "Whose Water Is It? Legal and Technical Issues in Water Recharge," the panel brought together three influential voices in California water management: Felicia Marcus, former chair of the State Water Resources Control Board and current and current Landreth Visiting Fellow at the Lane Center’s Water in the West Program; Lauren Layne, a water rights attorney at Baker Manock & Jensen; and Don Cameron, general manager and vice president of Terranova Ranch.

Felicia Marcus opened with a sweeping overview of California's water history, climate vulnerability, and the critical importance of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). She emphasized that recharge is essential to sustainability, especially as climate change erodes the natural storage once provided by snowpack. Marcus painted a picture of California's complex and fragmented water system, one shaped by variable hydrology, patchy legal frameworks, and diverse regional interests. Her central message: recharge is necessary, but implementing it is anything but simple.

Lauren Layne provided a legal primer on California's surface and groundwater rights, illustrating how these overlapping and often inconsistent systems complicate recharge efforts. She detailed the riparian and appropriative rights systems and explained how SGMA deliberately avoided redefining water rights. Recharge, she noted, faces hurdles when determining who owns the water being recharged, especially during high-flow events or under executive orders.

Layne also addressed how flood flows can legally be diverted for recharge, depending on the source, timing, and existing rights. Temporary executive orders have offered some flexibility, but long-term solutions demand better definitions of terms like "flood flow" and streamlined permitting processes. She emphasized the importance of collaboration and localized knowledge in managing surface water and making recharge feasible under existing law.

Don Cameron offered a practitioner’s perspective, sharing decades of experience with on-farm recharge at Terranova Ranch. He described significant investments in infrastructure and the regulatory maze required to get projects off the ground. Despite the challenges, Cameron emphasized the urgency of recharge to meet SGMA goals, noting that his 2023 efforts put over 18,000 acre-feet of water back into the ground.

However, he pointed out a major disincentive: the lack of legal ownership over recharged water. "The water we put in does not have our name on it," he said. Cameron called for streamlined permitting, reduced fees, and clearer rules to allow farmers to act quickly when water is available. He also advocated for more public-private partnerships to fund recharge infrastructure.

In a spirited discussion, the panelists agreed that while the regulatory system is complex, it must evolve to support recharge efforts. Felicia Marcus called for a comprehensive, statewide approach akin to a "Manhattan Project for water," including investments in data, infrastructure, and legal streamlining without undermining existing rights. Layne echoed the need for clearer permitting and local empowerment. Cameron urged certainty and incentives to encourage grower participation.

All three underscored that collaboration, better data, and proactive planning are essential to managing California's water future. Recharge isn't just a technical or legal issue—it's a foundational strategy for climate resilience, agricultural sustainability, and community well-being.

A call for regional collaboration

The conference concluded with a message from former California State Senator Toni Atkins, who stressed the importance of collaboration between local, state, and federal agencies for achieving real and lasting climate resilience. She called for policy solutions that balance agricultural sustainability, economic growth, and environmental protection.

"I can't tie this all up in a bow," she said, acknowledging that the challenges facing the Central Valley, California, and the nation, are immense. "We have to stand in the complexity of the moment." But Atkins remained optimistic. Though she agreed with the sentiment in the room that the dire threat of climate change demands rapid action, and that implementing solutions can be a very slow a process, she also expressed a deep confidence in the people of the Central Valley. 

"I am in the Valley, and the people here are resilient. You’ve brought to the attention of government the areas where you need help...[and] when I find good people coming together to try to solve these big problems -- when it comes to energy, water and climate, you are ground zero for figuring out what needs to be done." The Bill Lane Center shares Atkins' optimism, and her final remarks echoed the mission and purpose of the Rural West Conference in the first place. The Center's entire Rural West Initiative is about bringing stakeholders together, listening to one another, sharing challenges and collaborating on solutions. As such, Atkins' spoke for the entire Bill Lane Center community in delivering these parting words to conference attendees: "I hope you are able to take what you’ve learned here and the relationships you've made, and go forward and collaborate and listen to each other." The Lane Center thanks the Eccles family, partners at the Maddy Institute and Fresno State's California Water Institute, and all of the expert panelists, moderators and attendees who made the 11th Annual Eccles Family Rural West Conference such a success.