Trees provide us with many essential benefits, including clean air and water, shelter, and erosion control, just to name a few. Ongoing management of forested lands ensures the healthiest forests and greatest benefit to wildlife and our human communities. Since more than half of Washington state is forested, that’s a lot of trees that need support—and professional foresters throughout the region are stepping up to deliver it.

In 2021, the Puget Sound Conservation Districts (PSCD) initiated the Regional Forestry Stewardship Program to help conservation districts pool resources and leverage their ability to assist residents managing forested property. Prior to that, many conservation districts were unable to house their own forester or forestry program. By coming together, districts in the Puget Sound region are now able to provide more services and support to more land stewards. 

Stacey Dixon is the PSCD forester providing technical assistance to residents of Snohomish County and Island County, including Whidbey and Camano Islands. Since the pilot program started, Stacey has served 119 landowners and impacted over 2300 acres of forested property. 

Stacey works with the specific goals and needs of landowners to devise a management plan that works for both people and trees. One such landowner was Nadya, who reached out to Snohomish Conservation District to request a site visit after attending a Northwest Natural Resource Group forestry workshop in Darrington. 

Stacey visited the property and learned about Nadya’s hopes for her land. The result: Nadya now has a Forest Management Plan, specific to her property and objectives, that gives her a roadmap to fulfill her dreams for her forest.

Nadya found great value in Stacey’s thoroughness and analysis of both her tree stands and the soil. 

“Working through the Forest Management Plan was an education for me regarding the health and sustainability of the forest,” said Nadya. “The maps and soil studies of the forested area were enlightening.”

Forest management plans have additional benefits, Stacey explained, “They’re crucial to accessing cost share programs like the National Resource Conservation Service’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program. And they offer a vision for the forest and a step-by-step guide for how to achieve that vision, which isn’t just useful for the current landowners—it’s a gift to the next generation who owns and works the land.”

This is excellent news for Nadya, whose property is in a trust for her next generation.

The Regional Forestry Stewardship Program supports land stewards with their goals by giving them information and options tailored to their property. With a personalized Forestry Management Plan, landowners like Nadya have a roadmap for how to manage their forest. 

When asked about her next step for her wooded property, Nadya said, “Follow the plan!”

Learn more about the Regional Forestry Stewardship Program and the services available to landowners. 

This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement PC-01J22301 through the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency or the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

If you were a salmon traveling upstream, your chance of making it to your spawning bed hinges on many factors including the temperature and abundance of water. As a result, continuous streamside tree canopy and resident beavers are critical players in a salmon’s success. Trees shade and cool the water temperature, while beavers’ infrastructure supports consistent streamflow and helps create cool, deep pools. 

“Trib 80” is an unnamed stream flowing into Pilchuck Creek in the Stillaguamish watershed. Although it’s unnamed, Trib 80 plays an important role in the health of Pilchuck Creek and the salmon that spawn there, which includes Chinook salmon and steelhead, both of which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Trib 80 is a cool water source for Pilchuck Creek, which is especially important in the summer when the water temperature is warmer and water levels are lower, both of which can impede salmon migration to spawning areas. Mature tree cover along Trib 80 can help keep Trib 80 and Pilchuck Creek cool as climate change impacts summer water temperatures into the future. 

In an effort to provide this tree cover, Snohomish Conservation District worked with several private property owners between 2008 and 2020 to plant riparian buffers along Trib 80. Snohomish County also completed riparian planting projects along this tributary. In 2020, the District approached property owners along Trib 80 again with offers to plant more buffers on their land. Pilchuck Tree Farm enthusiastically accepted. The tree farm cannot harvest close to the water, leaving prime real estate for streamside trees 100-200 feet beside the tributary. 

The District is currently implementing Phase 1 of this work, which will plant 15 acres of riparian forest with funding from Washington’s Departments of Ecology and Recreation and Conservation Office, as well as donations from Pilchuck Tree Farm itself. Subsequent phases will expand the riparian planting to 24 acres.

While visiting Pilchuck Tree Farm last year, our Habitat Restoration Team was excited to see evidence of beaver activity. Beavers add pools to rivers and streams, which slows water flow and mitigates flooding. Slowing water also allows it to percolate into the soil and replenish groundwater, which supports summer stream inflow. 

In addition to the riparian plantings at Pilchuck Tree Farm, the District is installing 20 Beaver Dam Analogues, which are intended to mimic the form and function of beaver dams, and Post-Assisted Log Structures to help mimic natural wood accumulations in the stream system. The goal of these structures is to encourage beaver activity, reconnect the incised stream to its floodplain, and create pools and habitat diversity in the stream to further protect salmon habitat along this stretch of Trib 80.

Our work at Pilchuck Tree Farm complements other habitat restoration and stewardship projects around the Stillaguamish Watershed. We’re honored to work with the private property owners and land managers who re-tree their streams and contribute to this important effort, and we look forward to supporting salmon recovery in the future.

This project has been funded wholly or in-part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under an assistance agreement to the Washington State Department of Ecology. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products endorsements or recommendations for use.

This project was also funded by RCO and with a donation from the Pilchuck Tree Farm.

The Puget Sound area is one of the fastest growing regions in the nation. Developing land to accommodate this growth means more pavement and fewer trees, resulting in increased stormwater runoff, which contributes to flooding, erosion, and water pollution. 

Fortunately, tree canopy–especially evergreen trees–in urban areas can reduce stormwater volume and filter water as it moves through the watershed. It also provides wildlife habitat, shade, and improved air quality, human health, and livability. Trees can be a valuable stormwater solution that provides multiple benefits and helps build community resilience.

A TOOLKIT FOR GROWING URBAN FORESTS

To help professionals integrate tree canopy into community planning and programming, several stakeholders contributed to the creation of a comprehensive web-based toolkit for the Puget Sound region and beyond. The Trees for Resilience Toolkit provides resources and models to help urban foresters, stormwater managers, and community leaders successfully incorporate urban forests into the community fabric. The toolkit has three main sections:

Community Priorities–Demonstrates the intersections of trees and forests with community values and provides language to insert urban forestry in a multitude of community planning and policy-making discussions. 

Tool Boxes–Highlights the tools to grow a healthy and sustainable community forest. Practical considerations and resources are organized by topic to help planners, stormwater managers, and urban foresters find the tools they need to build or enhance an urban forestry program regardless of where their community is in the process.

Success Stories–Illustrates how the cities of Tacoma and Snoqualmie developed their own integrated urban forestry program. Each journey is different, but both utilized all the components shown in the framework.  

WHERE DOES A COMMUNITY START?

Even within an established urban forestry program, the community needs to assess its resources, integrate new initiatives and priorities, and implement best practices. The Trees for Resilience Toolkit supports communities at any step of their tree canopy journey. 

Ben Thompson, Urban and Community Forestry Program Manager with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources Urban and Community Forestry Program, notes: “Approaching the Toolkit with particular goals or ideas in mind will help users find the best resources to address their biggest needs.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT

Learn how you can utilize the Trees for Resilience Toolkit to meet your community’s needs by checking out the information sheet and watching this video about engaging decision-makers. 

For further information, you can also visit our About page and:

• Explore the Technical Report from the tree canopy and hydrology study to learn how trees–especially conifers–support stormwater management.

• Read the companion Handbook to learn about an interdisciplinary approach to co-designing green infrastructure and urban forest management for compounding benefits to the community.

This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement PC-01J18101 to the Washington State Department of Ecology. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

If you explored nature as a child, you might remember those enormous metal pipes filled with ankle-deep, frigid water that cross beneath roadways. These pipes, called culverts, are still common along streams and creeks throughout Washington. Despite their enticing mystery, culverts are not placed in waterways for childhood enjoyment. Instead, these pipes are installed to direct water under a road or bridge and ensure aquatic species, water, sediment, and fallen trees can move freely despite human development.

Unfortunately, many culverts are undersized, decaying, or otherwise inadequate and block fish passage for species traveling up- and downstream. This was the case with a culvert we replaced on a tributary to the Pilchuck River in the Snohomish River basin, a high-priority waterway for fish passage barrier restoration efforts. Snohomish Conservation District elected to replace this culvert for several reasons. The decaying five-by-40 foot metal pipe was collapsing beneath the roadway and rusted out at the bottom, causing a dangerous sinkhole and risk of complete collapse. The culvert was also small, creating a barrier to fish passage and negatively impacting transport of sediment, wood, and water downstream. 

When District staff began scoping this site for a culvert replacement, they found the creek bed lined with freshwater mussels. These mussels thrive when water is clear and free of sediment. District Engineer Ryan Bartelheimer explained, “Mussels are filter feeders, so if there is too much silt in the water the mussels would ‘choke.’ The fact that these mussels are present and healthy indicates that the creek water is of great quality and essential to the surrounding ecology and fish habitat.”

Due to the high-quality upstream habitat and a regional targeted strategy to replace high-priority fish passage barriers in this system, the District was able to procure multiple funding sources for both replacing the culvert and planting nearly three acres of streamside vegetation up from the culvert.

To preserve the stream and its aquatic residents during construction, District staff relocated the mussels and erected screens to temporarily keep fish out of the site while water was redirected downstream with a pump. New foundation was laid, arching panels installed, utilities rerouted and, once the new culvert was complete, the road was repaved. The arching panel design was developed in accordance with strict requirements in width, flooding capacity, and fish passage ability. The new design includes ample room for a full stream corridor. Fish, salamanders, raccoons, and other animals can now pass through the culvert without restriction.

This site not only improves conditions for aquatic life, but also establishes a high standard of care for natural resources on private land. 

“This story of individual landowners making a positive impact on fish populations for tribal communities and recreational fisheries for generations to come is a seed planted in our community. We all have a part to play in protecting our natural resources,” said Kristin Marshall, Habitat Restoration and Floodplain Management Program Director. 

We are grateful to the private landowners who voluntarily work with us to complete habitat restoration projects, including this project. As this seed grows and people are empowered to make a difference, the District and our partners will continue to support landowners in removing fish passage barriers throughout Snohomish County for years to come. Learn more about our habitat restoration efforts and request support for your own property on our website.

This project was funded by the Family Forest Fish Passage Program, Adopt A Stream Foundation, and the Washington State Conservation Commission’s Natural Resource Investments grant program and Salmon Recovery Funding grant program.

Cattle and horses leave behind a lot of manure—up to 31 pounds a day for a 1,000 pound horse and anywhere from 60 to 80 pounds a day from beef and dairy cattle. Thankfully, this valuable resource can be used as fertilizer for crops, local hay fields, and pastures.

The key, however, is managing manure properly to ensure the nutrients it contains are taken up by plants and not lost to groundwater, streams, rivers, and Puget Sound, where they become troublesome pollutants. 

This is where Snohomish Conservation District comes in. In 2022, we provided one-on-one technical assistance to 116 farms in Snohomish County and on Camano Island, including dairies and other landowners who raise beef and horses. We helped residents understand regulations and best practices for manure handling, educated people about solutions to store and transport manure, and connected livestock owners with funding to install or upgrade infrastructure that stores, moves, and applies manure. 

We also shared tools with local farmers to calculate the timing, rate, and amount of manure to apply to fields to provide the appropriate nutrients for plants while preventing excess nutrients from leaching into ground and surface waters. Calculating these variables can be difficult, particularly with shifting rain and flood patterns due to climate change. By listening and connecting producers’ experiences on the ground with the latest data, we were able to start identifying and developing solutions with state agency partners to better support farmers by improving access and knowledge of forecast communication tools and flood risk maps.

Helping farmers and residents manage and utilize manure as a resource not only protects water quality, it also saves money by reducing the need to purchase synthetic nitrogen fertilizer. Supporting our local farms through voluntary guidance also helps protect the viability of agriculture in our region while conserving and managing our natural resources.

This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement PC-01J18001 to the Washington State Department of Health. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

Although most of us refuse to use umbrellas, the fact remains that our annual rainfall averages about 35 inches in the western part of the county and increases sharply as you approach the Cascade Mountains. Managing the stormwater runoff resulting from all of this rain remains a crucial part of Snohomish Conservation District’s work to reduce pollution in our streams, rivers, and Puget Sound.

Rain gardens are an important tool in these efforts. These gardens filter rainwater runoff through a special soil mixture that removes pollutants and slows water so it can refresh groundwater stores. Rain gardens also provide habitat for important pollinators and native species, and are a charming addition to any property. Considering all of these benefits, we were proud to install five rain gardens in Lynnwood in partnership with the City of Lynnwood and three rain gardens in south Everett in 2022.

Realizing we can’t tackle our region’s stormwater issues on our own, we also continued spearheading green stormwater infrastructure efforts in collaboration with Whidbey Island Conservation District and King County. Through these partnerships, we designed rain gardens for four sites in Island County and installed 1,925 gallons of rainwater storage for farms on Camano Island. With funding from the Department of Ecology, we built nine rain gardens in White Center, located in King County.

We helped locals become stormwater stewards too. We shared rain garden installation and maintenance guidelines with landscape professionals looking to install and care for water storage infrastructure on their own. We also provided rain garden owners with resources to help keep their yard a stormwater-filtering machine. We facilitated hands-on education to 200 residents about rain gardens, soil infiltration, rainwater catchment, rain barrel installation, and converting limited-use lawns to multi-benefit edible gardens. 

We’re investing in the future through our contribution to revising the Rain Garden Handbook for Western Washington Homeowners alongside partners, including stormwater managers, rain garden designers and installers, and scientists. The update will incorporate the latest lessons learned and scientific data, as well as increase accessibility so more rain gardens are built in our community.

Our 2022 green stormwater infrastructure projects exemplify what is possible when a community unites to protect their water. Rather than letting large quantities of runoff flow untreated to Puget Sound, more and more is being filtered and utilized by people and plants in Snohomish, King, and Island Counties.

Since our creation following the Dust Bowl, conservation districts have relied on partnerships with farmers to pioneer new ways of protecting our natural resources—and agroforestry is no exception. For the last several years, Snohomish Conservation District has led the region in agroforestry, working with farmers to integrate perennial trees and shrubs into their agricultural systems. Utilizing land in this way can help diversify income, sequester carbon, and improve productivity, water quality, and wildlife habitat. 

However, one of our biggest challenges has been the fact that most of the information available on agroforestry practices comes from well-established research and trial sites in the Midwest and Northeast. Data and resources specific to the Northwest are woefully lacking, particularly for the wet, marginal farmland that is so common throughout the Puget Sound. 

In 2022, Snohomish Conservation District—in partnership with several innovative farmers, conservation districts, and other agencies—made significant strides in changing that. 

“We know that agroforestry has many benefits, but it’s still new to most farmers,” said Carrie Brausieck, the District’s Agroforester and Senior Natural Resource Specialist. “In order for farmers to take the financial risk of implementing these systems, they need more information about the practices that will translate to our region, the crops that will perform well in our soils and climate, and what our local markets will support.” 

Regulators also need more data to understand the degree to which agroforestry practices, such as harvestable or “working” buffers, can protect water quality. Working buffers act as a second layer of protection for waterways. Native riparian plantings adjacent to surface waters are the first layer, and then perennial trees and shrubs producing high-value crops serve as the second. Together, these plant buffers help filter water of pollutants before it enters waterways, reducing pollution.

“We’re working with farmers and other partners to establish agroforestry trial sites throughout the region,” said Carrie. “They’ll not only serve as research locations, but also educational sites where we can hold events that give farmers, agency staff, and the public a chance to see agroforestry practices firsthand. There will even be opportunities for people to participate in plantings.” 

The primary funding for these projects comes from three sources:

Western Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education (SARE) Farmer/Rancher Grant: Thanks to this grant, we’ve been able to work with Raising Cane Ranch and WSU Extension to document the economic and ecological aspects of transitioning a traditional hay operation into a hay and cider apple alley cropping system. Last year we held our second SARE farm tour on the site. Both tours had excellent turnout, highlighting the community interest in this work. We will also be producing fact sheets documenting alley cropping in our region. 

Washington State Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant: Through this project, we are collaborating with Whidbey Island and Skagit Conservation Districts and WSU Extension to evaluate agroforestry systems on wet, marginal farmlands. We’re partnering with four farms in the region to plant agroforestry trials where we’ll collect baseline data on soils, species viability, and the economics around specific crops that thrive in saturated soils. 

Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Research & Education Grant: This grant will make it possible for us to plant working buffers on three farms in North Puget Sound and monitor water quality. These buffers will consist of dense native plants adjacent to surface waters with high-value harvestable crops planted in a second zone adjacent to farm fields. We’ve installed water quality monitoring equipment on the three farms and will collect baseline soil and water quality data for a year before the working buffers are installed during the 2023/24 planting season.

“Agroforestry systems take years to grow and we’ll need additional time—beyond the life of these grants—to collect data that provides us with more information,” said Carrie. “Our intent is to secure additional rounds of funding that will allow us to continue to collect data as these systems mature.” 

Fortunately, our current grants have allowed us to establish long-term relationships with farmers who are interested in trialing these practices for years to come.

“We have a really innovative group of farms participating in these projects,” said Carrie. “They’re excited to help build a Puget Sound identity for agroforestry and to be an educational resource for other landowners in our region. We’re glad to be able to help them to do that.”

Interested in following these projects and learning more about their benefits? Sign up for Farm & Forest, our quarterly agroforestry newsletter highlighting local agroforesters, innovative practices, and more.

As our Lawns to Lettuce team knows, some spaces–like a sunny lawn–are brimming with potential for an edible landscape. Other areas, however, need a bit of creativity to envision the possibilities. Luckily, our team has the imagination and technical skill needed to transform any space into a multi-purpose, edible wonderland.

In 2022, our Lawns to Lettuce team did just that, converting over 60 plots of land around Snohomish County into abundant garden beds. One notable site was the Latino Educational Training Institute (LETI) campus in Lynnwood. In an effort to repurpose an unused area in front of their building, LETI worked with us to design and build a demonstration garden to nourish their community members. Soon after the garden beds were complete, tomatoes, cilantro, strawberries, and other tasty fruits and vegetables had taken root.

LETI is a cultural hub that offers trainings, workshops, and community events to the Latino community in Snohomish County. In the spring and summer, LETI families took part in workshops at the demonstration garden where they learned about planting and growing food, storing and using rainwater, and composting food and garden waste. They nurtured the edible plants grown on site and before long, staff and program participants were sharing the literal fruits of their collective labor.

One participant, Ericka, said, “We enjoy watering the garden and seeing the tomatoes, tomatillos, jalapeño peppers, and herbs grow, but most importantly, seeing the results of the hard work everyone put in.”

LETI’s Director of Health and Wellness Program, Marisol Bejarno, emphasized the impact of these community gardens for diverse Snohomish County residents. “Access to the knowledge and materials needed to grow your vegetables and herbs is an excellent opportunity for our community. Being Latino, we come from many small communities with history and roots around growing fresh food. This [garden] allows our community to connect with our culture and have pride and satisfaction in providing fresh food for yourself and your family.”

Our urban agriculture work with LETI was funded by a grant from the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), the second time we received such funding. With NACD’s support, the Lawns to Lettuce team was also able to build and expand the garden spaces at HopeWorks Station and Interfaith Family Shelter in Everett. These community gardens improved access to nutritious foods for residents facing food insecurity and will nourish the community for years to come.

Given our staff’s ability to transform a variety of spaces into an edible landscape, our Lawns to Lettuce program could aptly be renamed Parking Lots to Lettuce or Schoolyards to Lettuce. Regardless of the origin of the space, however, the end result is always exciting–an area for individuals, families, and communities to grow and access nourishing food.

Food security and access to healthy local produce are key to the health and vitality of our communities. Contributing to community resilience in this way is an overarching priority for Snohomish Conservation District. We teamed up with Forterra to convene a Food Systems Steering Committee to increase our collective understanding of existing challenges, opportunities, and priorities for the Snohomish County food system.

Steering Committee meetings and stakeholder workshops revealed several priorities, including improved communications and coordination around supporting local farms and serving residents most in need. To help fill that need, we worked with the Steering Committee to develop the Fresh Food Forum, a website that consolidates and provides detailed information to people looking for food resources and those who want to help.

Enhancing connections between consumers and farmers holds the potential to improve the viability of local farm and food businesses while providing healthy and fresh food to local communities.

Diverse sectors and organizations within the food system participated in this effort, including:

• Agriculture: SnoValley Tilth, Food Bank Farm, Caruso Farms, Farmer Frog

• Food Banks: Snohomish Food Bank Coalition, Lynnwood Food Bank, Volunteers of America

• Aggregators/Distributors: Puget Sound Food Hub, Snohomish Farmers Market

• Nutrition and Education: WSU Extension Agriculture Program, WSU Extension Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education, Hungry Hearts Foundation, Darrington Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program Preschool

• Public Agencies: Snohomish County  

Explore the Fresh Food Forum to learn more about growing your own food, food sovereignty, free food resources in Snohomish County, protecting farmland, and other ways to get involved.

This project was funded by the Community Foundation of Snohomish County and the Washington State Conservation Commission.

Our roots are in the soil, literally. Conservation districts across the country (approximately 3,000 strong) were born out of the Soil Conservation Act of 1935 to combat soil erosion and preserve natural resources. Today, conservation districts have expanded their scope to include all natural resources in rural and urban landscapes. To that end, Snohomish Conservation District’s overarching priority is to promote healthy watersheds and resilient communities. 

Every day, our programs and projects make progress towards:

• Increasing landscapes’ resilience to climate change through floodplain management, forest planning, climate-smart agricultural practices, urban trees, and carbon sequestration

• Improving fish and wildlife habitat in urban and rural areas

• Providing educational opportunities that prepare the next generation to understand and address the natural resource challenges they will face

• Improving farm operations for efficiency and sustainability

• Increasing food security and access to locally grown food through urban agriculture

• Incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion in all our work by promoting services to underserved communities and increasing accessibility for diverse populations

In addition to the important work we do every day–and the many accomplishments detailed in this report–the District is embarking on a new venture to provide additional services to our community. We have acquired a 12-acre parcel in unincorporated Snohomish County and will be building a Community Conservation Center. The Center will house our staff, greenhouse, and barn; showcase demonstration gardens and practices; and provide a location for hosting educational workshops and events.

As we start developing the site, we are restoring wetlands and streams, constructing rain gardens, and planting food forests. We are creating a space to do the work we love, and we look forward to sharing it with all of you. We have so much to be grateful for this year as we come into a new era, and we are excited for what lies ahead.

In 2022, Snohomish Conservation District’s Youth Education Team debuted a new stormwater education program for elementary school students. This four-part Sound Education Program emphasizes hands-on, problem-based learning that prepares youth to tackle stormwater conservation issues in their communities.

Part 1: Introductory Lesson. Students begin with a classroom lesson focused on stormwater topics such as watershed dynamics, water quality monitoring, and salmon and macroinvertebrate health. These lessons give students the background information they need to understand these complex and important topics. They also inspire students to care about stormwater—what it is, how it moves through our communities, and why it matters.

Part 2: Stormwater Science Survey. Students participate in a campus-wide scientific investigation to explore stormwater problems and connect these larger concepts to their everyday spaces. While learning about erosion, flooding, fertilizer and pet waste pollution, and watershed health, students see the impact of stormwater in their own school community.

Part 3: Stormwater Pollution Solutions. Abuzz with creative energy after witnessing stormwater problems firsthand, students work together to devise solutions to the issues they observed on campus. Students are inspired to dream big in this problem-based learning workshop. Some students invent robots that filter silt and fertilizer out of agricultural runoff, and others design startups that pay dog owners for each bag of pet waste put in the garbage. 

Part 4: Conservation Communication. During the final lesson, students present their pollution solutions to their peers, teachers, administrators, and community members. While practicing their public speaking and science communication skills, we continually see students empowered to take action in their communities. One recent class was inspired to pick up litter before it could wash down storm drains and pollute the watershed. 

While implementing the Sound Education Program, our educators witnessed students thinking critically about stormwater problems and collaboratively dreaming up thoughtful solutions to address them. We’re excited to continue supporting youth in our community as they explore stormwater issues and take action to correct them.

On a sunny day in Ellensburg, a team of five students from Sequoia High School in Everett arrived with their advisor Katie Nickels to compete in the Washington State Envirothon competition. A few months prior, the students had claimed a winning spot in the Northwest Regional competition after successfully answering challenging questions about aquatic ecology, soils, wildlife, forestry, and current environmental issues. 

The state competition tested their environmental science knowledge even further. Featuring over 50 high school students from throughout the state, teams were tasked with answering rigorous multiple-choice exams, crafting written responses to complex environmental scenarios, and giving an oral presentation to a panel of expert judges in the natural resource and waste management fields.

The Sequoia High School team rose to the challenge. “The students displayed an exemplary level of teamwork and clear dedication to environmental science,” said Katie Amrhein-Dang, Snohomish Conservation District Education and Outreach Program Manager. “It was inspiring to see their passion and interest in the field of conservation.”

Although our local Sequoia team didn’t advance to the National Envirothon competition, each member had a fantastic time and gained important exposure to careers in environmental science. They developed critical thinking skills around nuanced environmental issues and found ways to take action in their communities. Participating students were excited to get a taste of what it takes to have a career related to the environment, natural resources, and conservation. 

As we look ahead to future Envirothon competitions, we also look ahead to future conservation leaders. Our 2022 Sequoia High School Team showed us what young minds can do for the environment with a bit of training, support, and inspiration. We can’t wait to see what they accomplish in their communities in the coming years!

Partners are an essential part of our work. Whether collaborating on a streamflow restoration project or helping us connect with families facing food insecurity, our partners share our passion and dedication to accomplishing shared goals for conservation. Stewarding the land, water, and forests today and for generations to come is possible because of the enthusiasm and dedication of our partners.

We work with farmers, landowners, and residents on a voluntary basis to provide meaningful land and resource conservation. We also engage the community in natural resource stewardship and educational opportunities. Thanks to the support and engagement of government and tribal staff as well as elected officials, non-profit organizations, schools and universities, businesses, and our citizens and land managers, we are able to have the greatest impact possible in the region. All of these stakeholders play a vital role in making conservation happen on the ground.

As non-regulatory agencies, conservation districts hold a unique role. We work hand-in-hand with federal, state, and local agencies to meet requirements and get results through voluntary action. We value broad, multi-sector partnerships and strive to bring diverse stakeholders to the table. 

If you’re interested in partnering with us in our mission-driven work or collaborating with us on a project, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact our Outreach Team at outreach@snohomishcd.org.

A special thank you to our 2022 project partners and funders…

Partner Jurisdictions

Funding Partners

Project Partners

Every life is intertwined with water. It’s our collective responsibility to protect it as best we can.

Coho salmon are born in freshwater and after a lifetime spent in Puget Sound, return to their birthplace to spawn. 

That is, if they survive.

In 2020, the University of Washington published a study on the effects of stormwater pollution in urban water bodies. Their findings exposed the culprit of mass coho salmon deaths: tire dust.

The chemical compound 6PPD is an antioxidant preservative added to rubber to help prevent UV and ozone degradation. As it is exposed to ozone, this compound degrades into 6PPD-quinone, or 6PPD-q, a chemical that is highly toxic to coho salmon.

When it rains, tire dust on roadways is swept into nearby streams. Research indicates that the 6PPD in this dust is killing more than half of coho salmon in the Puget Sound region before they spawn. In some streams, nearly all coho die. This is dire news for Southern Resident orcas, who feed on these salmon populations.

While the ultimate solution to this problem is to find alternatives to 6PPD-q for tire preservation, there’s a lot we can do in the meantime. One important action we can take now is filtering stormwater near rivers, creeks, and streams to remove pollutants before they enter our waterways.

Improving Watershed Health with Orca Recovery Day

Salmon, trees, orcas. It’s a three-word pattern that we’ve repeated since Puget Sound conservation districts gathered in 2018 to create a day of action for Southern Resident orcas. 

To celebrate the fifth annual Orca Recovery Day in 2022, we hosted an event focused on reducing pollutants from entering our local waterways. In Marysville, adults and children from over six countries gathered together to learn about water quality and plant a riparian buffer along the Middle Fork Quilceda Creek. This creek is a critical habitat restoration site. It runs alongside a major road and is home to coho salmon and other sensitive aquatic species.

In addition to planting the riparian buffer, Orca Recovery Day attendees also participated in a guided nature walk with Habitat Restoration Project Manager Sara Rocero, who explained the importance of riparian buffers. Trees and shrubs planted along waterways can help filter out pollutants such as 6PPD-q and provide shade, thus contributing to clean and oxygen-rich water.

“I find immense value in connecting people with the natural world,” Sara said. “It’s so important for people to connect with and learn that the green spaces around their homes, neighborhoods, and parks are important habitats for wildlife. Good or bad, we directly impact the animals around us.”

Environmental Educator Nathan Sharon led a watershed demonstration and showed participants how to monitor the health of the creek using water quality test kits. Adults and children were both eager to learn how their actions can directly benefit their local water bodies.

The non-profit organization Foundation for International Understanding Through Students brought 17 undergraduates from Angola, Botswana, Mali, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe to help plant trees. Several students, including Jacobo Fernando, had led restoration projects in their home countries. Jacobo has planted over 1,000 trees in Mozambique. Jacobo and his peers were interested to learn about habitat restoration in Washington and how preserving water quality benefits people, salmon, and orcas.

As the Orca Recovery Day event came to a close, Snohomish Conservation District Executive Director Linda Lyshall shared, “The community can play an integral role in restoring salmon and orca populations throughout the region. Orca Recovery Day is a chance to celebrate our collective impact and ensure action is taken for generations to come.”

What’s Next?

As we reflect on the past five years of Orca Recovery Day and the growing awareness about 6PPD-q, we see the collective impact we have made and know there is still work to be done.

Orca Recovery Day is not a single moment in time; this day and the people who take small and large actions create a ripple effect that carries throughout the Puget Sound region. For our part, we will continue supporting endangered species of salmon through our work in habitat restoration and education. 

This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement WQNEP-2020-KCWLRD-00058. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.