The Coexistence of Farms, Fish, and Flooding
/
The Sustainable Lands Strategy (SLS) coalition initially convened in 2010 to unite individuals and community organizations dedicated to improving the coexistence of farming and fishing in Snohomish County’s floodplain areas. Snohomish Conservation District has been involved in this collaboration since the start. Monte Marti, former District Executive Director and SLS Steering Committee member, recalls a time when collaborators were more likely to sue each other than work together.
Fortunately, sentiments have changed and today’s SLS partners–including farmers, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, The Tulalip Tribes, Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians, Washington Farmland Trust, Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, Snohomish County, and others–realize their true power lies in working together.
Now, the District’s Executive Director, Linda Lyshall, is a SLS co-chair alongside Daryl Williams, a Tulalip Tribes member. They guide the direction of SLS with input from the Steering Committee, the Implementation and Integration Committees, and other partners and staff from multiple organizations.
Snohomish Conservation District staff, such as Kristin Marshall, Habitat Restoration and Floodplain Management Program Director; Bobbi Lindemulder, Agriculture Program Director; and Kari Quaas, Community Engagement Project Manager, contribute their expertise as well.
Funded by a near term action grant from the Environmental Protection Agency and a Floodplains by Design grant, we have used a range of strategies to spread awareness of SLS accomplishments and resources. In 2022 we were able to reach a broad Snohomish County audience—including residents, local consumers, farmers, and those who rely on salmon for subsistence and cultural purposes—through the following efforts:
A quarterly newsletter: view the archive and sign up for the SLS newsletter
Twelve short films on farms, fish, and flooding: view the films
Two film festivals held in the Snohomish and Stillaguamish river basins
A food consumer survey exploring why people choose local agricultural products: watch a YouTube video about this Special Topic Session
Promotional items including stickers, grocery bags, flyers, and business cards
Field trips and farm tours, including a visit to the Qualco Digester, Leque Island, and Raising Cane Ranch
Social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube at @farmfishflood
A brand new website–www.farmfishflood.org–to share our innovative and collaborative work.
We’re honored to work alongside our community partners to further the goals of Sustainable Lands Strategy and protect our floodplain’s fishing and farming capacity. If you’re interested in supporting our work or learning more, please visit the new website at www.farmfishflood.org or sign up for the SLS newsletter.
This project has been funded wholly or in part by Washington State Department of Ecology Shoreline Floodplains by Design Program and Snohomish County.
