San Juan Islands Conservation District 2008 ANNUAL REPORT
FEATURE ACCOMPLISHMENT
Fostering Farmland Preservation

Resource Challenge
Farmland is being lost at an alarming rate in San Juan County. In 1954, there were approximately 45,463 acres of farmland in San Juan County. By 2002, the number of acres had shrunk to 17,145 acres. Development pressures are non-stop and the value of land in the county is exorbitant.

Project Summary and Results
Farmland preservation is a top priority for the San Juan Islands Conservation District and the Agricultural Resources Committee (ARC) of San Juan County. In January 2008, the ARC received a grant from the Office of Farmland Preservation to conduct an education campaign on agricultural conservation easements. The campaign consists of four components: media outreach, agricultural landowner contact, community presentations, and an agricultural land inventory with associated one-on-one networking. To date there have been four public workshops, five newspaper articles, a collaborative county-wide farm and food questionnaire, a wind-shield survey of farmlands on San Juan, Orcas and Lopez islands, and over a dozen face-to-face visits with farmland owners. In addition to these efforts, the ARC developed an “early warning” system with the county assessor to notify the committee when farmland was under threat of being removed from the Agriculture Open Space tax relief program. The results of our efforts so far are an increased awareness and understanding of conservation easements and tax relief program options by farmland owners. Mapping of agricultural resources in the county is also well underway.


Key Project Partners
Agricultural Resources Committee
Office of Farmland Preservation
San Juan County Assessors Office
San Juan County Council
San Juan County Land Bank
San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild
San Juan Preservation Trust
WSU Extension – San Juan County






2007 ANNUAL REPORT
FEATURE ACCOMPLISHMENT

ARC Logo & pics small
Keeping Farmland Sustainable by Fostering the Agricultural Resources Committee (ARC) of San Juan County

Resource Challenge: To protect, preserve and restore agricultural resources in San Juan County.

Project Summary
San Juan Islands Conservation District (SJICD) established a collaborative partnership with San Juan County to achieve mutual objectives in farmland preservation and protection. SJICD signed an Interlocal Agreement with the County that makes the services of the ARC available to SJICD in order to foster the creation of effective agricultural programs and practices. This unique partnership between the SJICD and the ARC ensures conservation and protection of natural resources in San Juan County.

Project Results
The ARC has a part-time coordinator funded by SJICD and secured funding for the remainder of 2007 from the County. The County Council identified the protection of agricultural resources as one of their top four priorities for 2008. The ARC launched a program to promote the use of farm products by local food establishments and has defined three areas of focus – farm marketing, farmland preservation and farm regulation.

Innovation/Highlight
Partnering with an agricultural advisory group demonstrates the unity of SJICD and the agricultural community and works toward the protection of key resources – land, water and
food.

Key Partners Involved
Agricultural Resources Committee
San Juan County Council
San Juan Economic Development Council
San Juan County Land Bank
San Juan County Environmental Health
WSU Extension – San Juan County

Contact
Ron Zee, District Manager
350 Court Street #10
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
(360) 378-6621
r.zee@sanjuanislandscd.org
www.sanjuanislandscd.org

San Juan Islands CD
Board of Supervisors

Jerry Kasparek, Chair
Thom Pence, Vice Chair
Vicki Heater, Co-Secretary/Treasurer
Henning Sehmsdorf, Member
Pete Walmsley, Co-Secretary/Treasurer

Funding for Featured Project
Local $ 39,000
State $ 0
Federal $ 0
Private $ 1,000
Total $ 40,000


District Information

History: SJICD has served the entire county since 1964 and is based in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. Separate soil conservation districts were established originally in 1947 on Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan Islands.

Land Area: 174.9 square miles or 111,936 acres (smallest in Washington) on 172 islands. (Ferry-served islands are San Juan, Orcas, Lopez, and Shaw.) SJICD includes the False Bay, Eastsound, Blind Bay, and Fisherman Bay Watersheds. Only county in the United States comprised entirely of islands.

Land Cover: The District is composed of mostly private lands with some state and federal holdings. Forests with shallow soils and abundant wildlife habitat dominate the land (70% is forested) plus a small amount of grassland that is largely used as agricultural land.

Shoreline: 414 miles within northern Puget Sound (longest of any county in the nation).

Population: A majority of the population (15,900) lives within the three towns of Friday Harbor, Eastsound, and Lopez Village on three main islands. The county has the second fastest growth rate in Washington State with the population of year-round residents increasing 40% between 1990 and 2000 while growth in housing has increased 60%. During the summer months, the area is a popular tourist destination for its scenery and recreation.

Mission Statement
To work with landowners and residents to develop sustainable land use practices that protect and conserve San Juan County’s soil and water for wildlife habitat, forestry, farming, residential, and other uses.

Natural Resource Priorities and Goals
Maintain water quality and quantity by preserving natural hydrology; increase and maintain healthy soils; preserve and restore wildlife habitat; and maintain and preserve agriculture and forest lands to sustain the rural character of the landscape.

Implement conservation best management practices on a broad scale throughout San Juan County.

Achieve significant preservation/restoration outcomes on Lopez, Orcas and San Juan Islands.

Support and promote preservation and expansion of sustainable agriculture countywide.

Develop natural resources database necessary to prevent degradation of the natural environment.

Information - Education Priorities and Goals
Gain wide acceptance of conservation and stewardship as primary community values.

Engage individuals, businesses, and the community in active conservation efforts and practices through outreach and education, including website information, newsletters, articles, workshops, county fair, and other events.

Educational resources inventory maintenance.

Critical Geographic Areas
The entire district is a critical geographic area.

Natural Resources Information: More Work to Do

Increase the contributions of sustainable agricultural and forestry practices to ecosystem health.
Increase the protection of water quality and increase water quantity and recharge through training in low impact development (LID) techniques.
Protect and continue monitoring 14 priority watersheds threatened by rapid new development converting agricultural and forestland to residential and commercial uses.


Pasted Graphic 2