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In this legislative session, SCC has received great support of VSP from the state operating and capital budgets for the 2023-25 biennium. While still awaiting the Governor's signature, budget items include:
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Voluntary Stewardship Program - $8,533,000
Funding of the public works assistance account is provided solely for implementation of the voluntary stewardship program.
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Voluntary Stewardship Program Monitoring and Reporting - $1,420,000
Funding of the public works assistance account is provided solely to support monitoring and reporting efforts necessary to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of voluntary stewardship program work plans.
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Voluntary Stewardship Program - $379,000
One-time funding is provided for staffing and ongoing funding is provided for four counties to enroll in the voluntary stewardship program pursuant to Substitute Senate Bill 5353.
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Voluntary Stewardship Program Project Funding - $3,000,000
Funding that continues the VSP cost-share program with private landowners first funded in the fiscal year 2022-23 supplemental budget.
- Skagit County Voluntary Stewardship Program - $1,000,000
Additionally, SB 5353 which will allow all Washington counties to opt-in to VSP, was signed by the Governor on April 25. Information is in development for new counties.
Capital funds for VSP projects are still available and project proposals are welcomed and reviewed on the first Tuesday of the month by the committee. Projects must be completed by June 30, 2023.
The window for a county or conservation district to complete a project by June 30, 2023 is diminishing. Projects that are not wholly finished by then will not be reimbursed. Please keep the June 30 deadline in mind when applying for VSP capital funds.
This opportunity provides funding for on-the-ground conservation projects that protect the five critical areas (including salmon habitat) while maintaining agricultural viability. Complete details are available in the VSP Guidelines and tips for successful VSP project proposals - Oct. 2022.
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.
Notice of successful funding awards can take up to 3-5 business days to reach project applicants (committee meets first Tues. of the month). Please make sure the correct contact person and email is listed in CPDS for the project. Please also confirm that the contact person is someone at either the county or the conservation district, and not the landowner.
May 17, 2023, 12 - 1 p.m. (Pacific)
EPA is hosting a webinar on their National Nutrient Inventory dataset, which tracks nutrient pollution and can support watershed planning efforts. The presentation will highlight the decadal progress in decreasing nitrogen and phosphorus pollution sources across the US in both urban and agricultural sectors, likely current nutrient pollution hotspots, and potential means to diminish nutrient pollution in these areas.
Overall nutrient inventories provide an integrated, intuitive database that users can leverage to identify the likely type and size of nutrient pollution sources within their local area and also metrics that stakeholders can use to achieve desired air and water quality restoration goals.
May 30, 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Online only. Register in advance for this meeting.
Mark your calendars! SCC and the Center for Technical Development (CTD) will host a webinar with colleagues from NRCS’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) and the Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework (ACPF) group about watershed-scale planning, prioritization, and monitoring.
The webinar will Introduce and summarize:
- Lessons learned and best practices from multiple watershed scale monitoring efforts conducted by CEAP across the US.
- Approaches and frameworks used by the ACPF to assist conservation districts, NRCS staff, and other partners with planning, prioritization, monitoring, and outreach at the nexus of agriculture and ecosystems.
Stay tuned for an agenda and more details in the next few weeks.
More about CEAP: CEAP provides assessments and associated conservation outcomes insights for multiple land uses and conservation goals. These assessments empower a diversity of customers to evaluate conservation successes, identify potential improvements, and set targeted, measurable goals for the future.
More about ACPF: The Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework (ACPF) is a free ArcGIS toolbox that leverages high-resolution geo-spatial data to help local farming communities better address their soil and water conservation needs. The National Hub for the Agricultural Conservation Planning Framework is focused on serving NRCS offices and supporting partners across the US to implement the use of ACPF in conservation planning processes on multiple scales. The National Hub is composed of several partners including: The Conservation Professional Training Program, Iowa Water Center, Iowa State University, Minnesota Water Resources Center, North Central Region Water Network, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension.
Questions and comments may be directed to Jan Thomas, 509-637-7004 or Levi Keesecker, 360-789-3650.
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. All county work groups, CDs, and interested stakeholders are welcome to attend.
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July 13, 2023: Spokane & online
Counties presenting: Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Lincoln, and Spokane
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Oct. 12, 2023: Pullman & online
Counties presenting: Benton, Franklin, Whitman, Walla Walla, Columbia, Garfield, and Asotin
Meeting format
- 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, including, but not limited to a conversation with the TP and SAC, a presentation by the county (with or without PowerPoint) or 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.
This schedule does not replace communications that are on-going between any VSP entities at the local or state level, but to provide a dedicated “check-in” opportunity for any county that wants to make use of it. Subject to availability, any county may present any issue at the Joint Meeting. Counties are welcome to inquire about time on the agenda.
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)
Monitoring results are not required to be reported unless a county wants to share those as part of demonstration of progress.
Copy of your submittal/confirmation email:
- Before submitting, please check, "send me a copy of my responses," to receive a confirmation email.
- Please double check that you've correctly entered your email address.
The report will be posted on the Commission’s VSP County Directory. The report should also be sent to the county, as required by statute.
To see examples of past two-year county reports, please visit SCC's VSP County Directory. Under each county name in the directory is a link called “Reports.”
Open Public Meeting Act (OPMA) training is required. SCC's position is that work group members are subject to the OPMA (RCW 42.30.205). In 2014, the Legislature passed the Engrossed Senate Bill 5964 which requires agency governing boards and committees established to take action on their behalf to receive training on the OPMA.
For instance, there are some requirements that need to be met, such as:
- Requiring training of work group members (RCW 42.30.205).
- Posting of agendas on a county’s website 24 hours in advance (RCW 42.30.077).
- Taking meeting minutes (RCW 42.30.030) (as per county policy and in compliance with the OPMA).
- Conducting meetings that are open for the public to attend (RCW42.30.030).
For more information, please refer to the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC) web page on the OPMA.
After work group members have been established by the Board of County Commissioners, it is our recommendation that each work group view the webinar at a work group meeting soon thereafter. By viewing the webinar, you will have received the training that is now required by law every four years or within 90 days of becoming a work group member.
MRSC has created a training which will meet the requirement for county work group members to have the OPMA training. Link to MRSC OPMA training
It is our recommendation that each work group keep a list of members who have taken the training and when the training was completed. The webinar may be viewed by work group members on their own or together as a work group, but the training must be documented by the work group.
Questions? Please email Bill Eller or contact by phone at 509-385-7512.
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