By Danna Kinsey,
San Juan Islands Conservation District Natural Resources Planner
The San Juan Islands Conservation District has begun a voluntary, cost-share assistance program that helps land owners install conservation best management practices to conserve and protect water quality, improve irrigation, manage nutrient run-off and/or animal waste, improve the health of native plant communities and reduce soil loss.
In most instances, landowners who participate in the program pay for half of the costs of the conservation measures or practices. In many cases land owners are paid for the labor they contribute or they can hire contractors to do the work.
Current cost-share projects are on San Juan, Orcas and Lopez Islands and will be completed by June 2013. The projects funded include Forest Planning and Implementation in Eastsound that includes pre-commercial tree thinning, fuel reduction and noxious weed removal for forest health and fire prevention. In addition, farmers have also qualified for funding from our Water Conservation Program for Farmers to include a compost facility for a diverse small farm, micro irrigation on a San Juan Island farm and assistance to install a rainwater catchment and micro irrigation system for the Orcas Island School District’s Farm to Cafeteria program. All San Juan County residents may apply for the Soil Testing Cost-Share opportunity now.
Cost-share funding is a result of capital funding approved for the Washington State Conservation Commission by the Washington State Legislature for fiscal year 2013 for shovel ready, on-the-ground projects that conserve natural resources and create local jobs.
All farm and forest owners, regardless of acreage, are encouraged to get a farm or forest plan to be eligible for future funding opportunities. Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact the San Juan Islands Conservation District to ensure eligibility and to begin the application process. Call 360.378.6621 or email us at info@sanjuanislandscd.org or visit our website at www.sanjuanislandscd.org for more information.
