April 2021

The legislative session is scheduled to wrap up this month. Both chambers have released their versions of the Operating and Capital budgets. The funding level for the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program is always of particular importance for the farmland preservation community and while we don't yet know where the final budgets will land, both the Senate and House Capital budgets provide full funding for the farmland category of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program. If those numbers hold steady, that would mean support for 13 farmland protection projects across the state.

Bills to Watch

April 25 is scheduled to be the last day of the legislative session. April 11 was the cut-off date for bills to pass out of the opposite chamber. If a policy bill didn’t make it through both chambers, it will likely not go anywhere this session.

Bills That Are Actively Advancing

• SB 5126 – Concerning the Washington climate commitment act. The bill is scheduled for executive session in the House Committee on Environment & Energy on April 16.
• E2SSB 5141 – Implementing the recommendations of the environmental justice task force. The bill was amended in the House and goes to the Senate for concurrence.
• 2SSB 5253 – Implementing the recommendations of the pollinator health task force. The Senate concurred with House amendments. The bill passed and is on its way to the Governor.

Bills That Did Not Pass by April 11 Cut Off

• 2SSB 5045, Establishing a state meat and poultry inspection program
• E2SHB 1099, Improving the state's climate response through updates to the state's comprehensive planning framework
• SHB 1298, Concerning regulation of accessory dwelling units located outside of urban growth areas
• ESSB 5275, Enhancing opportunity in limited areas of more intense rural development

Resources

Succession Planning: The Practical, the Personal, and the Ethical

This webinar by the American Farmland Trust during the National Farmers Union’s Women’s Conference discusses how to integrate gender and racial equity considerations into farmland succession planning. The webinar is available here.

Farm Walks Podcast

For 17 years, Tilth Alliance and WSU Food Systems Program have organized over 130 Farm Walks around Washington State. Each Farm Walk includes a tour of the host farm, a deep dive into 1-2 themes, and a discussion of current research and resources related to those themes. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they adapted the Farm Walks Program into a podcast. You can listen to the full season here.

Farmers’ Guide to Paycheck Protection Program

Farmers' Legal Action Group, Inc. released a free, online publication, Farmers' Guide to the 2021 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The Guide explains important recent changes to PPP that affect farmers. The deadline to sign up for PPP is now May 31, 2021.

Funding Opportunities & Announcements

WSDA Relief and Recovery Grants

Relief and Recovery Grants are available from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) for:

• Shellfish Growers
• Farmers Market Organizations
• Agritourism Farms
• Small Breweries, Wineries, Cideries, and Distilleries

The nearly $15 million in grants are available through a partnership between WSDA and the Washington State Department of Commerce with the public purpose of bolstering the viability of the Washington State agricultural industry, helping prevent business closures, and hence supporting the health and diversity of Washington State’s economy.

Applications opened April 9 and close April 26. Learn more about these grants on the WSDA Relief and Recovery grants webpage.

USDA Seeks Innovative Partner-Led Projects Delivering Sustainable Agricultural Solutions

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking proposals to fund up to $75 million in new and unique projects under the Regional Conservation Partnership Program’s (RCPP) Alternative Funding Arrangements (AFA) that take innovative and non-traditional approaches to conservation solutions at the local, regional, and landscape scales. In making selections. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will prioritize projects related to climate smart agriculture and forestry.

NRCS is accepting AFA project proposals now through May 28. Proposals must be submitted through the RCPP portal at: https://nrcs-sites.secure.force.com/. Information about this request for proposals is available on grants.gov. A list of last year’s awarded projects can be found here.

USDA Announces ‘Pandemic Assistance for Producers’ to Distribute Resources More Equitably

USDA is establishing new programs and efforts to bring financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and producers who felt the impact of COVID-19 market disruptions. USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers will reach a broader set of producers than previous COVID-19 aid programs. USDA is dedicating at least $6 billion toward the new programs. Read more on USDA’s website.

USDA Funding to Assist Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) has made $2 million available to establish partnerships with organizations to provide outreach and technical assistance to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. The funding was made possible by USDA’s new Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative, an effort to distribute resources more broadly and to put greater emphasis on outreach to small and socially disadvantaged producers impacted by the pandemic. Interested organizations must submit proposals by May 5, 2021. View the grant opportunity on Grants.gov.

USDA Extends Deadline to Comment on Proposed Revisions to National Conservation Practice Standards

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced it will extend the deadline for public comment on proposed revisions to 23 national conservation practice standards through a posting in the Federal Register. The proposed revisions were published March 9 with comments originally due April 8. Comments will now be due April 22.

NRCS is encouraging agricultural producers, landowners, organizations, Tribes and others that use its conservation practices to comment on these revised conservation practice standards. NRCS will use public comments to further enhance its conservation practice standards. The proposed revisions to the 23 conservation practice standards are available on the Federal Register. Comments can be made through https://www.regulations.gov/ or by mail or hand delivery. Read more here.

Job Announcements

Pacific Northwest Policy Manager

The American Farmland Trust (AFT) is hiring a Pacific Northwest Policy Manager. Reporting to the Pacific Northwest Regional Director, the Pacific Northwest Policy Manager develops and implements AFT’s policy priorities and strategies in Washington and Oregon, and advocates for policies and programs which permanently protect farmland, help farmers mitigate and adapt to climate change and protect water quality, encourage smart solar siting, and support beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers in accessing and transferring farmland. View the full job description here.

Events

Oregon Conservation Law Forum

The Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts’ (COLT) April 21, 2021 Law Forum will feature “Essential Legal Documents for a Conservation Transaction.” Designed for attorneys, law students and conservation professionals, the law forum will provide an overview of important documents at each step of a conservation transaction and provide critical information for drafting these materials. Registration information for the virtual event is available here.

Agriculture in the News

COVID-19

• Grants available to help wineries, ag tourism, farmers markets (The Wenatchee World)
• Agriculture industry, farmworker advocates craft efforts to get workers vaccinated (Yakima Herald)
• After Identifying Gaps in Previous Aid, USDA Announces ‘Pandemic Assistance for Producers’ to Distribute Resources More Equitably (USDA Press Release)
• Central Washington Ramps Up As Agricultural Workers Eligible For Vaccine; FEMA to Help Yakima (Northwest Public Broadcasting)

Land Use

• 5 Million Acres in Conservation Easements (USDA Press Release)

• A tall task: Finding common ground in region’s floodplains (The Everett Herald)
• New Frameworks Guide Conservation Action on America’s Working Rangelands (USDA Press Release)
• It was an old apple orchard. Now it could the future of clean hydrogen energy in Washington state (The Seattle Times)

Land Access

• Finding farmland in King County is a perpetual struggle (Snoqualmie Valley Record)
• Editorial: Feeding world will take land, and lots of it (Capital Press)

Federal

• Secretary of Agriculture talks about issues facing farmers and his plans for USDA (Capital Press)

Legislature

• Ag community not thrilled with legislation addressing overtime issues (Pacific Northwest Ag Network)
• Putting a price on polluting: Washington Senate Oks carbon-cap and clean fuel bills (The Seattle Times)
• Washington Senate Democrats pass twin climate bills (Capital Press)

Markets

• Washington state apple exports drop substantially in 2020-21 (AP/The Seattle Times)
• Cut and fried: Northwest spud farmers take a deep hit on their contracts (KNKX Radio)
• Wine Commission: Washington’s harvest smaller in 2020 but quality was high (Pacific Northwest Ag Network)

Other States

• A Colorado county provides a model for saving the West’s open spaces (High Country News)
• Living in Farm Country: Rural developments a challenge for newcomers, and farmers (Capital Press)

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The Washington State Conservation Commission administers the Office of Farmland Preservation to address the rapid loss of working farm and forest lands in our state. Learn more: www.scc.wa.gov/ofp.