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Local Working Group meetings allow the public to provide thoughts, opinions, and ideas directly to NRCS to improve their support of locally led conservation.
SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Washington (NRCS-WA) has set the dates, times, and locations for all Local Working Group meetings occurring in 2024.
The Natural Resources Conservation Service is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners help their land through completely voluntary, non-regulatory, incentive-and-science based programs.
Local Working Groups (LWG) are NRCS’s way of listening to people interested in agriculture and natural resources so they can best serve local communities across Washington. Local Working Groups are typically composed of agricultural producers, Tribes, owners/operators of nonindustrial private forest land, professionals representing agricultural and natural resource interests, and individuals representing a variety of disciplines in the soil, water, wetland, plant, forestry, and wildlife sciences who are interested in agricultural and natural resource issues in their communities. Local Working Group participation is also open to the public.
All are welcome and encouraged to attend their local working group meeting - listed below by area. Please note: LWGs are not required to designate a location until three weeks prior to their meeting. Please check this webpage for the latest information.
Big Bend Local Working Group
Date & Time: Feb. 13, 2024, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: USDA-NRCS Ephrata Service Center - 2145 Basin St. SW, Ephrata, WA 98823-9451
Area: Grant and Kittitas counties (Columbia Basin and Kittitas Conservation Districts, respectively).
Chair: Mark Moore
District Conservationist: Jon Paul Pierre
jonpaul.pierre@usda.gov
(509) 925-8585
North Central Local Working Group
Date & Time: Feb. 21, 2024, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Location: Chelan School District Office, 309 E. Johnson Ave., Chelan, WA 98816
Area: Okanogan, Foster Creek, South Douglas, & Cascadia.
Chair: John McClean
District Conservationist: Sarah Troutman
sarah.troutman@usda.gov
(509) 422-2750
Northeast Local Working Group
Date & Time: Meeting: April 4, 2024 at 12:30 p.m.
Location: Stevens County Conservation District (Conference Room) - 232 Williams Lake Road, Colville, WA 99114
Area: Stevens, Pend Oreille, & Ferry.
Chair: Andy Kroiss
District Conservationist: Saundra Morris (acting)
saundra.morris@usda.gov
(509) 685-0858
Northwest Local Working Group
Date & Time: March 4, 2024; April 1, 2024; and May 6, 2024 (optional).
Location: To be determined (Click here for the latest info.)
Area: Snohomish, Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan Islands, Whidbey Island, Clallam, & Jefferson.
Chair: Brandy Reed
District Conservationist: Sarah Tanuvasa
sarah.tanuvasa@usda.gov
(360) 488-4819
Palouse Local Working Group
Date & Time: April 2, 2024
Location: To be determined. (Click here for the latest info.)
Area: Whitman, Pine Creek, Palouse, Spokane County, & Rock Lake.
Chair: Larry Cochran
District Conservationist: Rich Edlund
richard.edlund@usda.gov
(509) 381-6727
Puget Sound Working Group
Date & Time: Feb. 21, 2024, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Location: Thurston Conservation District Office - 2918 Ferguson St. SW, Tumwater, WA 98512
Area: Thurston, Kitsap, Mason, Pierce, & King.
Chair: Sarah Moorehead
District Conservationist: Lynn Khuat
lynn.khuat@usda.gov
(253) 256-6741
Snake River Local Working Group
Date & Time: Feb. 14, 2024, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location: Dayton Best Western Hotel - 507 E Main Street, Dayton, WA 99328
Area: Asotin County, Columbia, Franklin, Pomeroy, & Walla Walla.
Chair: Lance Frederick
District Conservationist: Tracy Hanger
tracy.hanger@usda.gov
(509) 956-3752
South Central Local Working Group
Date & Time: March 12, 2024, from 9 a.m. to noon.
Location: Barker Ranch, West Richland - 85305 Snively Road, West Richland, WA 99353
(Remote call-in will be available. Click here for the latest info.)
Area: Central and Eastern Klickitat, Benton, North & South Yakima Conservation Districts, & Underwood.
Chair: Michael Crowder
District Conservationist: Chris Wright
christopherl.wright@usda.gov
(509) 367-8553
Southwest Local Working Group
Date & Time: Feb. 22, 2024, from 10 a.m. to noon.
Location: Cowlitz Historical Museum - 405 Allen Street, Kelso, WA 98626
(Remote call-in will be available. Click here for the latest info.)
Area: Clark, Underwood (Skamania), Lewis County, Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, Grays Harbor, & Pacific County.
Chair: Joe Shulke
District Conservationist: Bobette Parsons
bobette.parsons@usda.gov
(360) 557-2089
West Palouse Working Group
Date & Time: Feb. 21, 2024, from 9 a.m. to noon.
Location: Washington Association of Wheat Growers - 109 E 1st Avenue, Ritzville, WA 99169
Area: Lincoln & Adams.
Chair: Jeff Schibel
District Conservationist: Carolyn Edenbo
carolyn.edenbo@usda.gov
(509) 659-1761
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