Conservation in Action at “Farm, Fish, and Forest Field Day”
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Last week, we welcomed Snohomish County Council members Nate Nehring and Sam Low, Town of Darrington Mayor Dan Rankin, and Linda Neunzig, Snohomish County Agriculture Coordinator, on behalf of Executive Dave Somers, for a tour of three of our conservation projects throughout Snohomish County.
Our first stop was a site near Darrington, where Habitat Restoration Project Manager, Thomas Bulthuis, and his team removed invasive species and planted native vegetation, restoring 5.2 acres of habitat along Ashton Creek and a tributary to Ashton Creek. Next, we viewed a forest management plan in action in Darrington.
Our forester, Stacey Dixon, worked with a local landowner to identify their forest management priorities and implemented a plan that attracts wildlife and ensures forest health. Oak Rankin, Executive Director of Glacier Peak Institute, provided an overview of our partnership to improve air quality and build community wildfire resilience in Darrington through an education and chipper program.
Lastly, we visited Andrew’s Hay, a farm in Arlington that is one of the largest hay operations in Western Washington. Andrew’s Hay worked with our Senior Resource Planner, Eric Schuh, to prioritize farm conservation and stewardship through nutrient and waste management, native shrub hedgerow planting along a tributary to Portage Creek, and securing a conservation easement on the land to permanently conserve the land for agriculture.
We are so grateful for the landowners that are committed to stewardship, the Glacier Peak Institute, and the support for conservation from the Snohomish County Council and the Town of Darrington.
