Office Hours Update

Staff are continuing to work primarily from home. Our office is open by appointment only. We will not be receiving soil tests for the months of December and January. We will resume receiving soil tests on Wednesday, February 2, 2022 from 9-4 pm.

Orca Recovery Week Accomplishments

Thank you to the 175 individuals who participated in our October Orca Recovery Week! With the help of our partners, including the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Quileute Tribe, Clallam County Department of Community Development, WDFW and Peninsula Environmental, we hosted 3 educational programs and 3 volunteer restoration events throughout the Olympic Peninsula to bring awareness to the plight of the southern resident Orca whale and aid in salmon recovery.

Accomplishments include:

• 2,600 trees planted along the Elwha River and Sol Duc River by 71 volunteers to help accelerate restoration of fish habitat.

• 5,900 pounds of debris removed from Indian Creek by 24 volunteers.

• 128 participated in 3 educational events on the Dungeness River, Elwha River and Lake Sutherland/Indian Creek.

For more photos and highlights visit our Orca Recover webpage. To be notified of future volunteer events share your info with us on our Volunteering webpage.

2022 Clallam CD Election and Appointment

Each conservation district in Washington State is overseen by a board of five supervisors. Three supervisors are elected by registered voters within the district, and two are appointed by the Washington State Conservation Commission. The term of office for each supervisor is three years. They meet once a month to discuss district business, oversee district finances, and provide guidance on district activities.

Conservation districts are political sub-divisions of state government that conduct their own elections. State statute requires all conservation district elections be held in the first quarter of the year.

For Clallam Conservation District, the terms of office currently held by elected supervisor Christy Cox and appointed supervisor Matt Heins will expire in May of 2022. All potential candidates for these positions must be registered voters residing in Clallam County and may be required to own land or operate a farm.

This years election will be held on March 15, 2022 and Candidate Applications are due February 8, 2022, according to the 2022 Election Resolution that was passed at the regular board meeting in October. To participate, voters must vote in person or request an absentee ballot online through our website or from the district office. Applications for the appointed Supervisor position are due March 31st. Further details may be found on the website or give us a call at (360) 775-3747 ext. 5.

2022 Native Plant Sale

Plant Sale is now Open! Place your order through our online store. Conifers are sold in bundles of 25 for $16+tax and deciduous trees and shrubs are available this year in bundles of 10 for $16+tax. The deadline for placing orders is January 23, 2022. Plants will be available for pick-up on March 4 & 5, 2022. Limited quantities are available at the large order pricing and will be sold on a first come, first served basis. See our website for more details.

Replanting Forestlands

Choose your species based on site conditions. Below are guidelines for common Western Washington forestland species.

• Species that need full sunlight: Douglas fir, red alder

• Species that will tolerate some shade: grand fir, western hemlock, western red cedar, Sitka spruce

• Species that tolerate wet sites: grand fir, shore pine, Sitka spruce, western red cedar

• Species that tolerate dry sites: Douglas fir, shore pine

• Species that are more tolerant of wildlife damage: Sitka spruce

Plant the right time of year. Seedlings should be planted when they are dormant, generally December through March. Don’t plant in frozen ground or during freezing temperatures, as fine root hairs may freeze.

Choose the right spacing for your objectives. It is generally recommended to space tree seedlings 10 to 12 feet apart for most forest plantations. In western Washington current reforestation regulations require a minimum of 190 healthy trees evenly distributed per acre (approximately 15’ x 15’). If you think you may have high mortality based on difficult site conditions (potential wildlife damage, lack of moisture, etc.) plant at a higher density. To minimize thinning your forestland in the future, consider planting at a lower density.

There are many resources available for forest landowners. Last spring we partnered with WA Department of Natural Resources to put on several webinars for forestland owners last spring. Topics include Site Preparation and Vegetation Management, Tree Planting and Species Selection, and Forest Insects and Diseases. The webinars can be viewed at https://clallamcd.org/past-webinars. WSU Extension Forestry also has excellent videos and publications at: https://forestry.wsu.edu.

Slope Stabilization Using Native Plants

Vegetation is ideal for stabilizing soil and protecting slopes from erosion. Foliage and leaf litter reduce the impact of falling raindrops that can break up soil particles and carry them downslope. Plants bind the soil with their network of roots.

Because of the difficulty of planting, watering and weeding on slopes, it is best to select species of plants that establish with minimal care, and also spread out to cover the ground.

Excellent spreading shrubs include snowberry, Nootka rose, thimbleberry, salal, and Oregon grape. Good non-spreading species include oceanspray, red-flowering currant, and serviceberry. Shrubs are typically good choices for planting along shoreline bluff areas, near existing structures, or in areas that taller trees may obstruct views. Space shrubs 3 to 4 feet apart

Some good trees for slope stabilization are big leaf maple, western red cedar, Douglas fir, shore pine, grand fir, and Sitka spruce. Note that all of the trees listed reach heights of 50 feet or more, so they may not be appropriate where preserving views is a goal, or where falling trees pose hazards to structures. As a general rule, trees should be planted about 10-15 feet apart.

Visit WSU Shore Stewards website for 10 excellent guidelines and resources for living on or near waterways, and to sign up for their newsletter.

FARM MANAGEMENT WEBINARS

We’re offering two, free webinars designed to help horse and livestock owners prepare for the winter season. Visit our website to register.

Wintertime Management of Poultry

WHEN: Wednesday, Dec. 1st from 7:00-8:00PM

Join District planners for a webinar exploring a variety of topics helpful for keeping poultry and waterfowl during the wet, winter months. Topics include footing and bedding options for minimizing mud, tips for lighting and heat choices, and suggestions for handling poultry manure and waste during the winter. The event will include time for questions and answers.

Putting Native Plants to use on Your Farm

WHEN: Tuesday, Dec. 7th from 7:00-8:00PM

This webinar will feature a presentation with ways you can use native plants to add beauty, function, and wildlife value to your farm and property. The webinar will include a brief description of common, native trees and shrubs and advice for planting areas like streams, wetlands, and ponds, on your property. Topics will also include an overview on how to use native trees and shrubs to create visual screens, windbreaks, and hedgerows, and tips for protecting new plantings from wildlife and livestock damage.

Winter Management Key to
Productive Pastures

By now, horses and livestock should be removed from pastures. Grazing during the wet months while grass plants are dormant can damage and kill pasture grass, which leads to a reduction in forage production the following spring, and the potential for weed invasion.

Confine animals in a winter feeding area or “sacrifice” pasture. A sacrifice pasture is an area or field that is sacrificed for the good of the rest of the pastures. This area is ideally well-drained and located away from streams, ditches, wetlands and ponds. Sacrifice pastures are typically replanted in the spring and often rotated each year.

In addition to sacrifice pastures, other winter confinement options include:

• A barn and/or corral bedded with hogfuel works well for cattle, sheep and goats. Bedding and manure can be cleaned in the spring and composted. Install feeder panels, as seen at below, to cut down on wasted hay.

• Concrete feeding slabs can be useful for most livestock types, especially cattle and pigs. Manure can easily be scraped off the slab and stored during the winter.

• Mud-free gravel paddocks work well for horses and other equines. Pens should be cleaned daily and manure stored and applied to pastures in spring. Visit our website to view a guide we created on building mud-free paddocks or give us a call to request a hard copy.

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!