WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (March 21, 2026) – Community members gathered at Three Sisters Garden for the March Spring Skills Share, a free monthly event focused on gardening and community building.
In a day filled with laughter and curiosity, attendees gained hands-on experience turning beds and learned about irrigation, harvesting, regenerative agriculture practices and transplanting.
Participants learned how to plant cabbage and pot Yellowfin and Dunja squash. They also saw how the farm prepares cabbage and took home fresh vegetables.
Gloves were available, but most people were excited to dig into the soil with bare hands.
Three Sisters Garden, founded by Alfred Melbourne, is a nonprofit urban farm program that transforms vacant lots into productive farms. The organization promotes sustainability, knowledge sharing and food access, with a goal of removing barriers to growing fresh food.
Dignitaries do the honors of the the first Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area Passport Program stamp. Shown from left to right: Delta Protection Commission Chair Diane Burgis, U.S. Rep. John Garamendi, Delta NHA Advisory Committee Vice Chair Elizabeth Patterson (Photos by Delta Protection Commission/Jada Portillo)
RIO VISTA, Calif. (Feb. 28, 2026) – U.S. Rep. John Garamendi and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area (NHA) celebrated the launch of the NHA’s Passport Program Saturday at RioVision Gallery in Rio Vista.
The Gallery hosts one of 27 self-serve “stamping stations” located throughout the Delta NHA, where visitors can stamp the NHA’s name, the date, and the city of the stamping station in passports. The passports are available from Eastern National, a nonprofit partner of the National Park Service that administers the nationwide passport program. But people who don’t have a passport can stamp any piece of paper.
Locals and visitors alike can find stamping station locations, as well as other nearby attractions, on an interactive map or in list form.
The Delta National Heritage Area is one of 44 NHAs that participate in the Passport to Your National Parks Program, in addition to nearly all parks in the National Park System. Many travelers become avid collectors of stamps that commemorate their visits to some of the nation’s most beautiful and historically significant places.
Attendees on Saturday had the opportunity to stamp their passports alongside Garamendi, Delta Protection Commission (DPC) Executive Director Amanda Bohl, and DPC Chair Diane Burgis. The DPC coordinates the National Heritage Area.
Garamendi was a key supporter in Congress in the creation of the NHA – California’s first – in 2019.
On Saturday, he told the gathered audience that he began participating in the Passport to Your National Parks program the 1990s.
“As we’ve traveled in the years since that time, we’ve always carried a passport with us,” he said, calling it an extraordinary opportunity to remember where they were and what they did when visiting places of historic, cultural, and natural significance.
All photos by Delta Protection Commission/Jada Portillo
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Feb. 27, 2026) – Congressman John Garamendi has announced the launch of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area’s Passport Program, a brand-new way to experience the cultural and natural riches of the California Delta.
Tomorrow, Saturday, February 28, Congressman Garamendi and the Delta Protection Commission (DPC) will commemorate this new program with a ceremonial first passport stamp during the city of Rio Vista’s Lunar New Year Celebration.
“I have spent my career fighting to protect and elevate the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, and today I’m proud to partner with the Delta Protection Commission and Diane Burgis to launch California’s first and only National Heritage Area Passport Program,” said Congressman Garamendi. “This exciting new initiative will inspire a new generation to explore the Delta’s breathtaking landscapes, rich history, and vibrant communities. Through the Passport Program, visitors can capture stories, preserve memories, and discover America’s natural and cultural treasures in a hands-on way. I invite everyone to visit the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area and experience the Delta for themselves.”
“The Passport program provides residents and visitors with a fun opportunity to explore the Delta and appreciate the tremendous variety of landscapes and communities within the NHA,” says Delta Protection Commission Chair and Contra Costa County Supervisor Diane Burgis. “We are thrilled to be part of a popular National Park Service program that enhances the region’s connection to America’s important cultural, historic, and natural resources.”
California’s first and only National Heritage Area (NHA) established Passport stamping stations as part of the “Passport to Your National Parks” program to inspire visitation and exploration of this unique and culturally significant region.
Encouraging travelers to “capture stories, preserve memories, and discover America’s natural and historical treasures,” the Passport Program provides stations at Delta venues where visitors can access free cancellation stamps to create a lasting memento of their adventures. Official passports may be purchased through the nonprofit partner of the National Park Service.
Delta NHA sites offering Passport cancellation stations range from museums and libraries to California State Historic Parks and nature preserves. Locations span four of the five counties that make up the NHA: Sacramento County, Yolo County, Contra Costa County, and Solano County.
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area was designated by Congress in 2019 and is managed by the Delta Protection Commission, which supports the region’s economic development while preserving its historical and cultural significance.
There are 62 National Heritage Areas across the United States. NHAs support historic preservation, natural resource conservation, recreation, heritage tourism, and educational initiatives through public-private partnerships.
For more information about the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area Passport Program, contact Blake Roberts or Kira O’Donnell at the numbers listed above.
To learn more about the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area, view the NHA fact sheet and Management Plan (PDF), visit the Delta Protection Commission’s website, or call (916) 375-4800.
Participants of the 2026 Delta Leadership Program met in Rio Vista on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, for their third seminar of the year, a lively day of discussion featuring:
A discussion of the Delta environment with Cory Overton, Science Director for California Waterfowl; Kimberly Evans, researcher for the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences; and Jerred Dixon, director of Staten Island (Conservation Farms and Ranches). Dixon is a 2023 alum of the program and a member of the Delta Protection Advisory Committee.
A visit to the Dutra Group to learn from company Vice President Ryan Abood about levee repairs and dredging in the Delta.
Lunch at Foster’s Bighorn, legendary for its densely packed taxidermy collection.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Feb. 10, 2026) – Applications to fill five seats on the Delta Protection Advisory Committee (DPAC) opened today. The application deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 31, and the Delta Protection Commission is scheduled to make the appointments May 21.
The terms of five Committee seats expire in May 2026:
Delta Organization (Mariah Looney)
Delta Agriculture Seat 1 (Jeff Iniguez)
Delta Recreation (vacant)
State Agency (Edward Hard)
Utilities-Related Infrastructure (Sam Garcia)
Incumbents are eligible to reapply.
DPAC provides recommendations to the Delta Protection Commission on diverse interests within the Delta, including the Delta’s ecosystem, water supply, socioeconomic sustainability, recreation, agriculture, flood control, environment, water resources, utility infrastructure, and other Delta issues.
Committee members are expected to attend six meetings per year. DPAC typically meets on the first Tuesday of even-numbered months (February, April, June, August, October, and December), though meeting dates may occasionally shift. The 2026 schedule is here. Meetings are held in the Delta at rotating locations.
Committee member terms are three years, so these terms will expire in 2029.
The Delta Protection Commission is hiring a Senior Environmental Planner with responsibilities that are key to the DPC’s mission: land use and levees. If you love rural places and want meaningful opportunities to protect them, this job’s for you.
The DPC’s mission is to protect, maintain, enhance, and enrich the overall quality of the Delta environment and economy. We do this with a focus on agriculture, recreation, and natural resources, while remaining mindful of the importance of the Delta to all Californians.
This Senior Environmental Planner will perform planning, project development, and grants management; conduct analytical studies; formulate procedures and policies; make recommendations to the Executive Director on a broad spectrum of program-related issues that impact the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta; and represent the Commission as assigned.
Occasional travel is required, so candidates must possess a valid driver’s license.
The job is hybrid, requiring at least two days a week of in-person work at the DPC’s office in West Sacramento.
Benefits include:
Health, dental, and vision insurance,
CalPERS pension and retirement plans,
Paid time off and holidays, and
Professional development opportunities
Requirements: Civil service examination or other proof of eligibility, valid California driver’s license, education transcripts, employment application, Statement of Qualifications
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WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (March 21, 2026) – Community members gathered at 
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Feb. 27, 2026) – Congressman John Garamendi has announced the launch of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area’s 
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Feb. 10, 2026) – Applications to fill five seats on the 