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DECEMBER 2022 

scc.wa.gov/vsp

In this issue:

• Save the date:

  • Quarterly Reports are due Jan. 10

  • Next Joint VSP TP and SAC Meeting is Jan. 12

• 2023 Joint VSP TP and SAC Meeting schedule

• VSP cost-share continues to be available

• Subscribe to the VSP calendar

Upcoming Events

Joint VSP TP and SAC Meeting

Jan. 12, 2023 @ 8 a.m.

In person: Washington State Farm Bureau Building, 975 Carpenter Rd NE #101, Lacey, WA 98516, Map

Online: Zoom Link

Meeting ID: 859 7490 0192

Passcode: 434300

Meeting Agenda

Cranberry bogs - Pacific/GH CD

2023 Joint Meeting Schedule

In 2023, the Joint VSP Technical Panel (TP) and Statewide Advisory Committee (SAC) Meetings will be held in person and online.

VSP counties will be grouped by geography and held at a central location, attempting to make meetings easier to attend in person. All VSP county work groups, CDs, and interested stakeholders are welcome to attend.

Jan. 12, 2023: Lacey & online

Counties presenting: San Juan, Skagit, Mason, Thurston, Grays Harbor, Pacific, Lewis and Cowlitz.

May 11, 2023: Ellensburg & online

Counties presenting: Okanogan, Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas, Yakima, Adams and Grant.

July 13, 2023: Spokane & online

Counties presenting: Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Lincoln and Spokane.

Oct. 12, 2023: Pullman & online

Counties presenting: Benton, Franklin, Whitman, Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin.

The format for each meeting is:

• The meeting will focus on presentations from a specific list of counties.
• Time on the agenda for each presenting county will serve as a check-in with the TP and SAC as the county prepares for their next 5-yr report. 
• A presenting county is invited to participate however they prefer. Examples of participation include, but are not limited to:
  
  
  • a conversation with the TP and SAC,
  • a presentation by the county (with or without PowerPoint),
  • a virtual tour of county VSP projects.

Time set aside on the agenda for specific counties is not the only time that a county can attend or communicate with the TP and SAC.

Subject to availability, any county may present any issue at the Joint Meeting. Counties are welcome to contact Bill Eller, SCC VSP Coordinator, to inquire about time on the agenda. 

We hope to see you there!

Curious Little Heifer - Pacific CD

Funding Available for Cost-Share Projects 

Cost-share for VSP projects continues to be available. Proposals will be considered on a monthly basis. 

Projects need to be completed by June 30, 2023.

This VSP cost-share opportunity provides funding for voluntary on-the-ground conservation projects that protect the five critical areas — wetlands, areas that recharge aquifers used for potable water, fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas, frequently flooded areas, and geologically hazardous areas — while maintaining agricultural viability.

Proposed projects must meet a VSP county work plan goal or benchmark, be in a VSP watershed, seek to address salmon habitat resource needs/impacts, use Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) standards and specifications, and be approved prior to submittal by the VSP county workgroup.

Project proposals need to be entered into the SCC’s Conservation Practice Data System (CPDS) to be considered for funding. Before submitting, please review the VSP Supplemental Funding Guidelines. The Commission approved the Guidelines after the legislature appropriated $3,000,000 in supplemental capital funds for the VSP for the remaining FY 22-23 biennium (ending on June 30, 2023). 

Please review these tips for successfully funding a VSP project. For instance, please make sure all VSP-specific questions are answered when entering your application into the SCC’s CPDS and that you have project approval from the county workgroup before submitting an application.

SCC and the VSP project review committee look forward to receiving your proposals.

Quarterly Reports

Jan. 10, 2023: VSP quarterly reports are due.

Quarterly report due dates are listed in each county-Commission VSP contract and are also listed on the VSP implementation web page, under the “Reporting” tab.

New VSP Calendar!

The Commission is excited to offer a new VSP calendar tool to share meetings and events, such as the TP and SAC meetings, monitoring symposiums, and more. VSP events should appear on your own calendar. 

Depending on your calendar program, you may need to "turn on calendar" or drag/copy meetings over to your calendar.

Subscribe!

Not a newsletter subscriber? 

Sign up here and choose the subscription for the “Voluntary Stewardship Program (VSP)” under the Programs and Policy tab.

If you have any questions please contact Bill Eller or Sarah Wilcox.

Copyright 2022 - Washington State Conservation Commission