Believe it or not, Clallam Conservation District has been in existence for 60 years (officially formed on September 29, 1959). The original mission of helping farmers and landowners conserve natural resources on their lands hasn’t changed much in the past six decades, but the land, land users and resource concerns have.

• Major milestones and accomplishments over the past 60 years include:

• 1959 – District established.

• 1989 – First district employee hired.

• 1989 – First issue of Conservation News published and distributed to mailing list of 350. Current mailing list exceeds 3,500 which includes over 1,800 email recipients.

• 1990 – First native plant sale conducted – 1,500 plants sold. Over past 30 years, more than 345,400 native trees and shrubs sold to about 5,700 customers.

• 1990 – First Landscaping with Native Plants workshop. Nearly 5,000 participants in sustainable landscaping workshops and courses to date.

• 1993 – Constructed wetland built to evaluate treatment of irrigation tailwater.

• 1994-99 – Jobs for the Environment crews restored habitat on miles of stream, installed dozens of miles of fencing and riparian planting throughout district.

• 2001 – First major irrigation ditch piping project completed. District has helped install 51+ miles of irrigation pipeline in past 19 years, for a total estimated Dungeness River water savings of about 24 cubic feet per second (over 7,000 acre feet per year). Annual irrigation water diversions reduced by more than half levels of 1980s.

• 2001 – First major irrigation ditch piping project completed. District has helped install 51+ miles of irrigation pipeline in past 19 years, for a total estimated Dungeness River water savings of about 24 cubic feet per second (over 7,000 acre feet per year). Annual irrigation water diversions reduced by more than half levels of 1980s.2002 – First Horse & Livestock Land Management workshops held. Nearly 2,000 participants over the past 18 years.

• 2004 – First Natural Landscaping course. Spring and fall courses held annually since.

• 2006 – First Family Forest Fish Passage project completed. 18 projects completed in past 14 years, accessing nearly 20 miles of salmon habitat.

• 2007 – Small Projects Drainage Manual for stormwater management developed.

• 2009 – Three Crabs Area Assessment completed. 2014 – Cost-share assistance provided for first septic system repair. Assistance provided for repair of 12 systems to date.

• 2014 – First shallow aquifer recharge system constructed. Six system installed to date.

• Conservation education for nearly 10,000 students.