|
-
Monitoring Guide Comments Open - Feb. 1-28
-
Save the date:
-
March 9 - Monitoring Symposium, online only
-
March 28 - Monitoring Guide Forum, online only
-
May 4 - VSP 101 Training, Lacey and online
-
May 11 - VSP Joint TP and SAC, Ellensburg and online
-
Project Highlight: Foster Creek CD
-
Cost-Share Continues to be Available
-
2023 Composite Rate Changes
-
Two-Year VSP Status Report due Aug. 30
-
Applications for WSDA Soil Sampling Program Now Open
-
It's Time to Update Your Contact Information
|
Monitoring Symposium
March 9, 2023, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Online only. Please register for Zoom link. Agenda coming soon.
Monitoring Guide Forum
March 28, 2023, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Online only. Please register for Zoom link. Agenda coming soon.
|
|
|
An updated version of the "Watershed Project Monitoring Development Guide for the Voluntary Stewardship Program of Washington" is available now for review and comments. Submit comments from Feb. 1–28.
This update to the guide includes the addition of a new section, Volume III: Developing a Monitoring Plan with Quality Assurance and Quality Control. The goal of this section is to provide guidance for practitioners to develop monitoring plans and data quality standards that will ensure monitoring activities are successful and informative for reporting and adaptive management.
Feedback and comments of the guide will be evaluated and incorporated into the document after the comment period closes with the expected adoption of the guide by the Commission in the Spring of 2023. A companion forum will be held March 28 to review the updated guidance.
|
 Photo credit: Walla Walla CD
|
|
|
The next VSP Monitoring Symposium is scheduled for March 9, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and will be held virtually.
Though the agenda is still developing, the next symposium will highlight several monitoring themes important for VSP, such as nutrients, pesticides, drought, and groundwater.
Staff from WSDA’s Natural Resource Assessment Section (NRAS) will share their approaches to question-oriented monitoring as well as tools and data that may be useful for VSP stakeholders interested in learning more about effectiveness monitoring.
 Photo credit: Okanogan CD
|
|
This monitoring forum will be held virtually on March 28, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. and will focus on updates to Version 2 of the "Watershed Monitoring Project Development Guide for VSP," now available for review.
SCC is seeking comments on updates until Feb. 28, 2023.
The primary change in Version 2 of this guide is the addition of “Volume III: Developing a Monitoring Plan with Quality Assurance and Quality Control.” This section provides an overview of quality assurance and quality control practices (e.g., approaches to achieve goals related to data representativeness, comparability, bias, accuracy, and precision) and provides guidance for developing monitoring plans that incorporate these essential components of monitoring activities.
Additionally, Volume III includes recommendations for developing monitoring schedules, chains of custody, and other logistical considerations important to ensure that monitoring activities are successful.
Stay tuned for a full forum agenda!
|
|
|
Are you a new VSP staff person responsible for tasks like implementation, contracts, processing expense vouchers, cost-share, monitoring, adaptive management, outreach, education, or reporting?
It has been twelve years since VSP became law, and seven years since it was first funded by the legislature, creating work groups and VSP staff. Many new staff have come into VSP and much institutional knowledge has been developed during this time.
SCC will provide two training sessions for staff and work group members on foundational issues, processes, operation, and implementation of VSP.
The first session is set for May 4, 2023, at 9 a.m., in Lacey and online. Location: Washington State Farm Bureau Building, 975 Carpenter Rd NE #101, Lacey, WA 98516. Details to come.
The second session will be held in eastern WA at a later date this year.
SCC is excited to offer a $500 stipend for county volunteer work group members to attend a VSP 101 Training in-person. The details of the stipend are not yet finalized and will be shared in the VSP newsletter in the next few months.
|
|
In 2023, Joint VSP Technical Panel (TP) and Statewide Advisory Committee (SAC) Meetings will be online and in person at a central location for presenting counties, attempting to make meetings easier to attend. All county work groups, CDs, and interested stakeholders are welcome to attend.
The second Joint Meeting will be held on May 11, 2023, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. in Ellensburg and online, focusing on presentations from Okanogan, Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas, Yakima, Adams, and Grant counties.
The format for each meeting is:
- The meeting will focus on presentations from the 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 inquire about time on the agenda.
Remaining 2023 Joint Meeting schedule:
-
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
We also suggest checking the Technical Panel meeting web page and Statewide Advisory Committee meeting web pages for updates.
|
|
|
Article by Becca Hebron, Foster Creek CD | Photo credit: Sean Williams, DFW
These two Foster Creek CD (FCCD) projects showcase an ecosystem approach to improving natural resources, protecting geologically hazardous landscapes, improving habitat health, and ensuring agricultural viability within the Foster Watershed.
Over the past decade FCCD has been focusing on Foster Creek to improve stream hydrologic degradation, 303D listings, and promote habitat restoration for both land and stream wildlife through continued restoration work on different segments of the stream.
The restoration process took a hit when most of the focus watershed was badly burned by the Pearl Hill Wildfire, which burned over 223,000 acres of Douglas County, badly impacting Foster Watershed. Three different plantings have taken place since that fire in areas within and upland of the riparian zone to increase sagebrush habitat and decrease runoff. Projects will increase streambank stabilization, decrease erosion, and improve riparian habitat for animals like the Sharp-tailed grouse.
There have been 22 in-stream structures consisting of Beaver Damn Analogues (BDAs), rocks structures, and Post Assist Logs (PALs) to decrease instream downcutting, increase sediment control and increase ponding. This stream is within a focused watershed planning process that is currently underway to gauge interested stakeholder’s values and priorities for this watershed and to assess how we can improve functions and sustainability of this ecosystem.
|
Foster Creek is also piloting a virtual fencing program that aims to decrease the amount of energy and time associated with consistently moving cattle to reduce grazing impact.
The virtual fencing system involves each cow being fitted with a collar that tracks the cow’s position relative to intangible fence barriers which are determined by the rancher. Guided by a network of solar-powered radio towers, this system dramatically reduces the amount of labor involved in moving cattle as part of a healthy rotational grazing system as well as eliminates adverse impacts to wildlife from traditional barbed wire fences.
Producers are able to increase their forage availability and utilization including areas such as crop fields, that are normally not fenced, within their digitally set virtual grazing zones, providing benefits for the field and the cattle. Future iterations of the system will allow time-lapsed movement tracking which will allow ranchers to evaluate grazing utilization with an unprecedented level of specificity.
|
|
|
|
Since Sept. 2022, $1.6 of the $3 million in capital funding from the legislature has been allocated to VSP programs.
Additional project proposals are welcomed and are reviewed monthly by the committee. Projects must be completed by June 30, 2023.
This opportunity provides funding for on-the-ground conservation projects that protect the five critical areas (including salmon habitat) while maintaining agricultural viability.
Examples of funded proposals have included projects such as: waste transfer, pumping plant, fencing, heavy-use areas, waste storage facility, riparian forest buffer, trails and walkways, roof runoff structure, sprinkler system, access control, irrigation system/micro irrigation, livestock pipeline, tree/shrub site preparation, wetland enhancement, livestock water facility, drainage ditch covering, etc.
Complete details are available in the VSP Guidelines and tips for successful VSP project proposals - Oct. 2022.
|
|
With the start of a new year, comes new composite rates! Please remember SCC requires updated composite rates for every employee being vouchered, effective Jan. 1, 2023.
The majority of rates have small changes, depending on the new Labor and Industries and Unemployment rates for the county that should have been mailed out by the agencies in Dec. Before SCC can pay your Jan. vouchers, these new rates must be submitted via the contract composite rate form in Formstack, specifically for contracts.
If you need to make a change to a previously submitted composite rate, please send an email to sccgrants@scc.wa.gov explaining the corrected rate.
|
|
|
The two-year status report required in RCW 36.70A.720 (1) (j) is due on Aug. 30, 2023.
All work groups, county staff, conservation district staff, and other staff responsible for VSP implementation should review Policy Advisory 05-18 to ensure they understand the two-year status report and deadline. Each county has recurring reporting requirements.
All VSP counties have the same deadline for submitting the report. According to statute, the two-year report is due to both the county and to SCC, “within sixty days after the end of each biennium….” Therefore, no later than Aug. 30 at the end of each biennium.
The two-year status report provides the county and work group with a forum for updating the public on the VSP implementation progress made during each biennium. These status reports should provide a snapshot of what has been done during each two-year period and should answer the questions:
- “How far along are we with our planned implementation?” (“status of plans”)
- “What have we done?” (“accomplishments”)
The two-year status report is not reviewed and evaluated by SCC, the VSP Technical Panel (TP), or the VSP Statewide Advisory Committee (SAC). There is no authority in the statute for SCC, TP, or SAC to review and evaluate the report. Monitoring results are not required to be reported unless a county wants to share those as part of demonstration of progress.
New this year: The report should be sent to SCC using a Smartsheet form. The form can accept documents up to 250MB in size, so there should not be any trouble uploading documents. A link to the form will be shared in a few weeks. Upon submittal, you may check a box to receive a confirmation email. The report will be posted on the Commission’s VSP County Directory web page. The report should also be sent to the county, as required by statute.
To see examples of past two-year forms for each county, please visit SCC's VSP County Directory. Under each county name in the directory is a link called “Reports.”
|
|
|
Are you interested in contributing soils data to the WaSHI State of the Soils Assessment? Are you a grower, an agricultural professional, a graduate student, or a conservation district staff member who wants to soil sample?
Beginning in March of 2023, WSDA will pay for a laboratory soil health analysis for eligible projects, in exchange for support in collecting samples and grower management surveys.
WSDA will also provide training and individualized soil health reports for participating growers. Data will contribute to a variety of WaSHI projects which will measure soil health across different regions and crops in Washington.
Submit completed application form to WaSHI@agr.wa.gov by Feb. 10 at 5 p.m.
|
|
Please remember to send SCC updated contact information whenever there is a change in VSP staff. This will ensure that you are compliant with your SCC VSP contract requirements, and also that the SCC has the latest contact information for those responsible for VSP implementation.
SCC is excited to offer a VSP calendar tool to share meetings and events.
     
Depending on your software, you may need to "turn on calendar" or drag/copy meetings over to your calendar.
|
|
|
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 2023 - Washington State Conservation Commission |
|
|
|
|
