Locke, Calif. (Feb. 22, 2025) – The historic Delta town of Locke filled with revelers Feb. 22 for its 17th annual Chinese New Year celebration, ushering in the Year of the Snake.
Beautiful red lanterns criss-crossed the town’s streets, and “Happy New Year” and “Happy Lunar Year” posters adorned buildings. A vibrant lion dance, accompanied by thunderous drumming, thrilled the crowd. The day featured calligraphy and painting demonstrations, and family-friendly activities including a Chinese Zodiac puppet show.
Journalist William G. Wong spoke to a captivated audience about his new book, Sons of Chinatown: A Memoir Rooted in China and America.
Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, is considered China’s most popular festival. The history of the festival, which marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring, can be traced back roughly 3,500 years.
“The Delta Protection Commission developed a plan that promotes the continued appreciation and protection of the natural, historic, and cultural resources associated with the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area, a place important to our nation’s history and heritage,” wrote Charles F. Sams III, Director of the National Park Service.
“We commend you for completing this well-conceived plan and for involving the interested Tribes, citizens, and organizations in the five counties of the Delta region.”
The Delta NHA, created by Congress in 2019 (PDF), is California’s first and only National Heritage Area. The Delta Protection Commission, a California state agency, was designated the local coordinating entity for the Delta NHA.
“We are grateful to Interior for its approval,” said DPC Executive Director Bruce Blodgett. “The Management Plan is critical for the success of the NHA, because it serves as a guide for the DPC and the NHA partnership network going forward.”
Diane Burgis, Chair of the Delta Protection Commission, also lauded Interior’s action. “The Delta is precious and fragile,” she said. “It is a national treasure, worthy of recognition, celebration, and protection. The approval of the Management Plan acknowledges that and assures us that we are on the right path.”
The NHA
The NHA’s boundary extends from Sacramento to Stockton to Vallejo with the junction of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers at its heart (see map below).
The Management Plan outlines five broad themes that will be celebrated as implementation moves forward:
Water: Precious Lifeblood for the Delta and California – The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is California’s oasis, located at the center of the state’s water challenges and opportunities, and a water passage between the Pacific Ocean and inland California.
The Beating Heart of Natural California – The Delta lies at the center of California’s biological and physical environment, supporting numerous biologically diverse species and connecting California’s freshwater resources to the Pacific Ocean.
Abundance, Diversity, Resistance, and Survival – Native Americans in the Delta – Native Americans thrived in the Delta prior to European settlement, developing complex and diverse societies, deeply rooted in the landscape, that have endured despite existential threats such as disease and genocide.
The Delta Becomes California’s Cornucopia – Through capital, human labor, and technology, the Delta became one of the nation’s most productive agricultural regions, with the ability to grow a large variety of crops, farmed by large and small operations.
Cultural Influences of the Delta – Enduring Legacies of American, Asian, European, and Latin American Immigrants: Bringing their own ambition and skills to the Delta, cultural and ethnic communities from Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States shaped the region’s agriculture and industry during the late 19th Century and early 20th Century and continue to leave an indelible imprint on the landscape.
Next Steps
The Management Plan will go to the Commission for final approval in March.
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Media contact: Bruce Blodgett, Executive Director, Delta Protection Commission, (530) 650-6811 or bruce.blodgett@delta.ca.gov.
ANTIOCH, Calif. (Nov. 17, 2024) – More than 80 Delta heritage professionals and aficionados gathered Friday at the Antioch Historical Society Museum for a day of storytelling and inspiration at the 6th Delta Heritage Forum.
The Forum was organized by the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area. The NHA – California’s first and only – was created by Congress in 2019, underscoring the region’s historical and cultural value. The NHA is coordinated by the Delta Protection Commission.
To receive notifications about next year’s Delta Heritage Forum, sign up for the NHA’s bi-monthly newsletter, the Delta Heritage Courier.
Protect the Delta – come work for the Delta Protection Commission as an information officer!
The person in this half-time, limited-term (one year) position will serve as the communications and tourism marketing lead for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area, the first and only National Heritage Area in California.
The person will:
Guide development of a tourism branding and marketing plan.
Plan, coordinate, and implement tourism initiatives.
Prepare effective written and visual communications about the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area.
Requirements: Examination, employment application, Statement of Qualifications
Protect the Delta – come work for the Delta Protection Commission as a senior environmental planner!
The position acts as an in-house consultant performing the most difficult and complex work that is critical to the Commission’s basic mission and of statewide significance. Work includes:
Ensuring compliance with the Land Use and Resource Management Plan.
Planning and implementation of Community Action Plans for Legacy Communities, including tourism enhancement and other regional economic development and sustainability projects.
Agency GIS work (GIS experience is required).
Work may include serving in a lead capacity over other personnel within the scope of activities conducted within the Commission.
Requirements: Examination, employment application, Statement of Qualifications
Comments Sought: Tribal and Environmental Justice Issues in the Delta
Commemorative Bricks for Isleton Park
Filipino American History Month Honored
Port Chicago Defendants Exonerated
Delta Conservancy Approves $1M for Stockton Maritime Museum
ALSO: EXHIBITS, CLASSES/WEBINARS, and EVENTS
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West Sacramento, Calif. (Jan. 16, 2025) – The U.S. Department of Interior today approved the Management Plan for the 
NEWS
Protect the Delta – come work for the Delta Protection Commission as an information officer!