Develop approaches to keep forestry and agriculture on the land

Water Quality Committee Workshop

April 11, 2006

Ê  Inventory and Analysis

· Inventory of properties (where are designated agricultural lands?) and mapping

· Determine which lands are at risk and/or provide opportunity for protection

· Gap analysis of existing incentives and programs

            Potential Participants:

            Teri Franklin, Columbia Pacific RC&D, WSDA, Counties (to map critical areas), Bob Meier (Rayonier), CTED/GMA (technical assistance, grant funding), Weyerhaeuser with the Nature Conservancy (Chehalis River Surge Plain), USDA/NRCS.  Suggested: Cascade Land Conservancy and DNR Natural Heritage.

Ë  Promoting Local Agriculture and Forestry
Education and Outreach · Education and outreach to develop a program that informs the public about the benefits of sustaining local agriculture and forestry, the costs of losing local agriculture and forestry and the costs of sustaining local agriculture and forestry · Education and outreach to develop a program that informs local agricultural, timber producers, related manufacturing processors about their responsibilities to protect the common local environment and opportunities for various forms of assistance designed to help them remain a viable producer Potential Participants: Columbia Pacific RC&D, WA State Dairy Federation, CBP Citizens Advisory Committee, WA State Department of Agriculture.	Sustain, Promote, & Develop (Economics) · Develop a basin strategic plan for sustaining local agricultural and forestry production · Develop and provide economic incentives to local agricultural and timber producers o Financial incentives for water conservation & storage · Develop and provide assistance to local agriculture, timber producers, and related manufacturing processors Potential Participants: Columbia Pacific RC&D, Teri Willis, WA State Department of Agriculture, Grays Harbor CD (currently provides TA & financial assistance to ag producers under various grants), USDA/NRCS.
Ë Provide a Sustainable Business Climate
· Support a regulatory climate that encourages agriculture and forestry · Address laws already in place that are contradictory to what we want to achieve Potential Participants: All counties, City of Montesano, WA State Dairy Federation (Gloria Edwards & Jay Gordon), Columbia Pacific RC&D

Ë Innovative Approaches to Water Rights

· Explore the use of water rights banking to prevent relinquishment of unused water rights

· Thurston County adopted local policies protecting water supply in agriculture designated lands:

o Ecology should not grant permits for transfers of existing water rights from designated agricultural lands, unless long-term arrangements are made for water supply to maintain agricultural use, including suitable surrogate sources

o Adequate water supply should be retained on and provided to designated agricultural land of long-term commercial significance and other important agricultural areas

· The availability of water for designated agricultural lands of long-term commercial significance is important for the agricultural use of those lands. If Mason County or Grays Harbor County adopt local policies protecting water supply for such lands which provide that adequate water supply should be retained on and provided to such lands; then Ecology should not grant permits for transfers of existing water rights from such lands identified in the policies, unless long-term arrangements are made for a suitable water supply to maintain agricultural use, including, but not limited to, surrogate water supplies.

Potential Participants:

WA State Dairy Federation (already working on legislative issues), Teri Willis, Columbia Pacific RC&D, Thurston County & Water Conservancy Board