New funding available to support private landowners in forest health and reduce wildfire danger

||| FROM KAI HOFFMAN-KRULL for SAN JUAN ISLANDS CONSERVATION DISTRICT |||

The San Juan Islands Conservation District (SJICD) has received funding from the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to assist forest landowners in San Juan County with improving the health and wildfire resiliency of their forests. The forest health practices being targeted are based on Best Management Practices (BMPs) from the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and focus on reducing wildfire fuels, building healthy forest and soil ecosystems that contribute to overall forest health.

The Conservation District expects to award roughly $7,500 to six different landowner projects for a total of $45,000. Homeowner associations and other neighborhood associations that meet the requirements are encouraged to apply. Applicants with land near the wildland-urban interface or prioritized in other forest health plans such as the 2012 San Juan County Community Wildfire Protection Plan are also highly encouraged to apply.

Interested applicants should be prepared to meet the following requirements before applying:

1. Provide 25% cost (of the $7,500 or is it $10,000?) match (monetary or in-kind labor contribution);
2. Provide a certified (or District approved?) forest management plan written for your land;
3. Provide proof of ownership of a parcel in San Juan County;
4. Can conduct the work yourself or hire a contractor to accomplish the work;
5. Be able to complete the scope of work by June 15, 2022.

Inquiries and applications should be submitted through the Forest Health Collaborative website of the San Juan Islands Conservation District at www.sjicd.org/FHC. Applications will be prioritized and ranked based on their ability to meet program objectives (criteria will be made available online). Accepted applicants will be asked to engage in a site walk-through from SJICD staff and sign a landowner agreement with SJICD.