Ventura River Watershed Riparian Resilience Program

On January 13, 2026, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife issued Restoration Management Permit RMP-2025-0013-R5 to the Ventura County Resource Conservation District for the Ventura River Watershed Riparian Resilience Program. This project focuses on enhancing the community resilience of native riparian habitats across approximately 2,000 acres within the Ventura River Watershed in Ventura County, centered at coordinates 34.370550, -119.309577. The scope of work involves the physical removal of invasive plant species and active revegetation using native riparian plant species to benefit native fish, wildlife, and plants. The program specifically targets the protection and benefit of species listed under the federal and California Endangered Species Acts, including the southern California steelhead, least Bell's vireo, and Crotch's bumble bee. Administratively, the project is managed by the South Coast Region office of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, with Christian Romberger serving as the primary point of contact. The project has been granted an exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21080.56.