COVID19 Office Update

Staff are continuing to work primarily from home. Our office is open to the by appointment only, and on our designated soil testing days, which are the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month from 9:00AM to 4:00PM.

Orca Recovery Week a Huge Success!!!

Over 175 people participated in our jam-packed Orca Recovery Week held October 5th through the 9th. Six events were held throughout the county, including educational walks on the Dungeness and Elwha River, a webinar on the health of Lake Sutherland and Indian Creek, volunteer plantings on the Elwha and Sol Duc Rivers, and a volunteer clean-up on Indian Creek.

With the help of volunteers over 2,800 conifer trees were planted to help provide shade and long-term fish habitat, and nearly 3 tons of debris was removed from Indian Creek. A huge thank to all the volunteers as well as the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Jamestown Tribe, Quileute Tribe, Clallam County Department of Community Development, Washington Fish & Wildlife, landowners of the Conkey-Smith Farm, Lake Sutherland community members, and Peninsula Environmental Group for their partnership and assistance in the events, and to all the community members that participated. We all had such a wonderful time collaborating on these events that conversations have already started about holding similar events this spring.

We’ll share more photos and details about Orca Recovery Week in our November newsletter, so stay tuned!

Seeking Members for our
Board of Supervisors

Clallam Conservation District is looking for community members interested in serving on our Board of Supervisors. Supervisors are public officials who identify local conservation needs, set priorities, and oversee the implementation of projects to protect soil, water, wildlife, and other renewable natural resources. Five members comprise the Board, each serving a three-year term without compensation. Three of the five Supervisors are elected by registered Clallam County voters during an election typically held in March. Two are appointed by the Washington State Conservation Commission.

For more information, see our webpage on Elections and Appointments or visit the Washington State Conservation Commission website.

2022 Native Plant Sale

Only a Few Days Remain to Place Large Orders

Looking to purchase a large quantity of native plants at a discount? Place your order of 100 or more plants of the same species on our Native Plants webpage. These discounted bundles range in prices from $74 to $120 per 100 plants.

The deadline for placing large orders is November 1, 2021. Large orders will be available for pick-up on Thursday, March 3, 2022. Limited quantities are available at the large order pricing and will be sold on a first come, first served basis.

Place Smaller Orders Starting in late November

We plan to take orders for our regular sale (bundle quantities of 10 to 25) beginning on November 23, 2021 through January 23, 2022. Ordering details and pricing information will be included in our November newsletter.

Fall leaf color is determined by temperature, sunlight and soil moisture. Warm, sunny days and cold but not freezing nights are best for great fall colors, but even in the years that don’t have the ideal weather, there are still a number of native plants that will show off some spectacular colors.

Our native maple trees are among the best for fall color, with vine maple rising to the top of the list with its vibrant orange hues. Foliage color on vine maples typically starts changing in August, long before most other plants, and continues to change until eventual leaf drop late in October.

Rocky mountain maple, also known as Douglas maple, is another good choice for fall color. It is similar to vine maple in size and shape. Its fall color isn’t quite as eye-catching and doesn’t last as long; however, rocky mountain maple is more tolerant of sun and wind, thus more adaptable to variable site conditions. And in spring, it leafs out a good month earlier than vine maple. Both vine and rocky mountain maple tolerate variable soil conditions.

In good years, big leaf maple is a sight to behold with its classic yellow fall foliage. Unfortunately, dry summer conditions like we experienced this year can result in considerable browning of the leaves and the color might not be as vibrant. Big leaf maple is a very tall and large tree that requires a lot of space, so it’s best to only choose this species if you have a lot of room. If you are short on space, the smaller vine and rocky mountain maples can fit into almost any landscape.

Serviceberry is another small tree or large shrub suitable for any landscape that also produces nice fall color. Like the big leaf maple, with good weather conditions, the foliage on serviceberry turns a warm golden color in fall. And like the vine and rocky mountain maples, serviceberry is tolerant of variable soil conditions. As an added benefit, it produces fruit that attract cedar waxwings and other birds.

Red-osier dogwood is another excellent choice. Although known for its red stems in winter, its unique red and purple fall color is matchless. Red-osier dogwood is a shrub that prefers moist to wet soil conditions, although in a clay or silt loam soil, established plants can easily endure our normal dry summers.

There are other native trees and shrubs with good fall color, but most are not as suitable for residential landscaping. Two species known for nice fall color that should be avoided or at the very least, used with extreme caution are black cottonwood and quaking aspen. Black cottonwood has a shallow root system, grows rapidly and has a bad habit of dropping branches in wind storms. Its cousin, the Quaking aspen is very invasive, sending roots far and wide that sprout new trees.

Other than the last two species on the list, all of the other native plants mentioned in this article can be purchased through our native plant sale. Small order sales will begin on November 23. You can find more information on native plants on our website.

Autumn rains are replenishing thirsty ponds, wetlands, and streams that struggled through a drier than average summer season. These sensitive areas are an integral part of a healthy landscape, and provide numerous benefits to you, your farm, and the wildlife that rely upon these areas.

Ponds, wetlands, and streams provide food, water, and shelter to many species of wildlife including waterfowl, birds of prey, and a variety of small and large mammals. Clallam County is home to at least 13 species of amphibians and 5 species of reptiles; most of which rely on healthy ponds, wetlands, and wet pastures for their survival.

Below are some actions you can take to protect wetlands, streams and ponds on your land:

• Fence livestock away from streams, wetlands, and ponds to protect water quality, minimize soil erosion, and protect native vegetation and wildlife habitat.

• Plant native trees and shrubs adjacent to ponds, wetlands, and streams.

• Ensure that culverts, overflows, and spillways are clean and free of debris to minimize flooding and erosion during storms.

Many farms across Clallam County have seasonally wet pastures, and while these fields come with some management challenges, they also provide benefits to you and your farm. Not only do wet pastures provide food and habitat for wildlife like waterfowl, but they also reduce flooding by soaking up and filtering stormwater. Also, these wet pastures are likely to be green and productive later in the summer when most pastures are dried up and grass has gone dormant.

Below are some tips for managing seasonally wet pastures on your farm:

• Remove livestock from wet pastures. When animals begin to leave hoof prints in the soil and/or when the stubble height is down to 3-4 inches it’s time to pull them off the pasture.

• Do not allow livestock to damage wet pastures. Leaving animals on saturated fields can cause soil compaction and ruts, and significantly damage grass plants which can lead to weed infestations and less forage available next spring.

• Use portable fencing in the spring to restrict livestock access to wet areas in fields allowing them to dry up before grazing them.

• Hold off on mowing these areas until after July 1st when many ground nesting birds have fledged their young.

• Consider planting hedgerows of native plants along the perimeters of wet pastures to enhance wildlife and pollinator habitat.

WORKSHOP:
Vegetation Management for Shoreline Landowners

Effective management of vegetation on marine shorelines can make a huge difference in slowing erosion, reducing stormwater runoff, and improving nearshore habitat for salmon, forage fish, and Orcas.

The Northwest Straits Foundation is holding a free "Shore Friendly Living" virtual workshop on Thursday, October 21st from 6:00-8:00pm to talk about the benefits of using native vegetation for slope stability and habitat. Ben Alexander of Sound Native Plants will cover soil composition and drainage, removing invasive plant species, native plant selection, and planting techniques for bluffs and shoreline properties.

Register for the workshop to receive a Zoom link to attend. You can also visit the Northwest Straits Foundation website to learn more about protection of shorelines.

CONSERVATION SPONSORS

Peninsula Environmental Group - (360) 819-3081 www.peninsulaenvironmental.com

Clark Horticultural Inc - (360) 460-9178 www.ClarkHorticultural.com

Eagle Creek Tractor - (360) 683-9391

John and Kriss Seago

Conservation News sponsorship's cost $50/yr for business names printed every issue or $100/yr for a name every issue and a business card once a year. They help offset publishing and distributing costs to reach nearly 4,000 readers. CALL US TO FEATURE YOUR NAME!