Skagit County Voluntary Stewardship Program

On December 19, 2011, Skagit County enrolled in the State's Voluntary Stewardship Program (the VSP) for protection of critical areas in areas of agricultural activity. Statewide, 28 counties are now enrolled.

The VSP legislation, codified at RCW 36.70A.700-760, enables an enrolled county to protect and restore riparian streams and other critical areas on agricultural land through new voluntary programs and coordination of existing programs, instead of new regulation. It provides focus and direction for agricultural stewardship, measurable goals and benchmarks, and relies on local watershed groups to develop work plans for implementation.

Skagit County VSP Work Plan Approved

• Letter from State Conservation Commission Director Mark Clark (July 6, 2017)
  
• Work Plan as Approved by WSCC (June 28, 2017)
• Notice of Availability and Public Comment Period (April 20, 2017)
  
• Draft Work Plan (April 20, 2017)
  
• Letter from Swinomish Indian Tribal Community (August 31, 2016)
  

VSP Watershed Group Documents
After waiting for state funding since 2011, the Board of County Commissioners appointed a watershed group in 2014 to help develop a work plan for the VSP. The County expects to complete the work plan and submit it for state review before the end of 2016.

• 2015 VSP Schedule
  
• Ag-CAO Watercourse Protection Measures
  
• Ag-CAO
  
• VSP and GMA Case Law
  
• Ecology Funding Guidelines for Riparian Restoration
  
• Natural Resources Stewardship Program Brochure
  
• Skagit County Salmon Habitat Monitoring Overview
  
• Skagit County GIS Riparian Assessment Overview
  
• Skagit County Water Quality Monitoring Program Overview
  
• Conservation Commission Buffer Matrix Documents
  
• Monitoring and Adaptive Management Program
  (Includes link to water quality and salmon habitat programs and Resolution R20040211 establishing them)
• Skagit County Ag-Critical Areas Ordinance
  (Summary of ordinance with appropriate links)
• Riparian Mapping Project Webpage
  (Includes links to the two papers below)
  • Riparian Mapping Project Summary and Conclusions
  • Riparian Mapping Project White Paper
• Draft and Final Environmental Impact Statement on 2003 Ag-CAO (February-June 2003)

VSP Startup Documents

The Board of County Commissioners adopted resolutions that declare that the County has sufficient funding to begin coordinating the Voluntary Stewardship Program, establishes the Watershed Group and appoints the Watershed Group.

• Resolution R20140330
  Appointing Members of the Watershed Group and Technical Review Panel (November 10, 2014)
• Resolution R20140287 Initiating Participation in VSP
  (September 16, 2014)
• Comments on Draft Resolution from Ag Advisory Board | Samish Tribe | Swinomish Tribe
  (August 22, 2014)
• Comments on Draft Resolution from 3FI Oversight Team
  (August 28, 2014)
• Comments from Upper Skagit Tribe
  (September 12, 2014)
• Draft Resolution Initiating Participation in the Voluntary Stewardship Program
  (August 8, 2014)
• Video: Presentation of Draft Resolution to Board of Commissioners
  (August 8, 2014)

Where do we go from here?

The legislation provides deadlines and schedules for implementation of the program.

Skagit County has pledged to work more quickly than the required schedule envisions to accomplish resource protection more quickly.

How is the program funded?

The goals of the voluntary stewardship program assume that there will be funding for technical assistance, operation of local watershed groups, incentive funds for implementing voluntary stewardship measures, and enforcement of existing regulations. Participants in the statewide Ruckelshaus Center process that led to the agreement to support the VSP consider an unfunded program agreement to be tantamount to a non-agreement. Given the economic climate, the quest for funding to make the program successful will be a significant challenge for all parties and implementing agencies.

How is the state involved in the VSP?

The Washington State Conservation Commission will provide administrative oversight through a statewide advisory committee composed of representatives from counties, tribes, agriculture, and environmental organizations.

What happens if the VSP doesn't protect streams and other critical areas?

Checkpoints are built into the program to ensure that protection of critical areas is achieved. Stewardship programs will be evaluated at 3, 5, and 10 years, and counties will be required to proceed with additional actions if benchmarks to protect critical areas are not achieved in local watersheds through voluntary efforts. Potential consequences and actions for counties in this situation include review and possible amendments to critical areas ordinances, or the county may choose to adopt an alternative plan for protecting critical areas subject to state agency approval.

Do farmers still have to comply with regulations?

Yes. The County's Critical Areas Ordinance is still in effect, including the special buffer exemptions for ongoing agriculture and the mandatory Watercourse Protection Measures. Farmers also have to be careful to comply with state water pollution control laws (RCW 90.48). Learn more from the following resources:

• Skagit County Ag-CAO webpage
• Skagit County Ag-CAO Watercourse Protection Measures brochure (663kb PDF)
• Ecology Small Farms Manure Management webpage
• Ecology Water Quality Program webpage
• Skagit Conservation District Small Farm webpage

Enforcement of state and federal water quality regulations by the Department of Ecology is considered an integral part of the VSP.

What about the Clean Samish Initiative?

Skagit County is committed to efficient use of our limited financial resources. Over the long term, Skagit County intends to integrate the countywide VSP with the Clean Samish Initiative and other water pollution and habitat protection programs.

What's the difference between the VSP and the NRSP?

Skagit County's Natural Resource Stewardship Program is an existing, four-year, grant-funded effort to help landowners enhance streamside habitat through voluntary easements, plantings, and livestock fencing. NRSP is an example of the kind of voluntary programs that will likely be integrated into the County's VSP (likely with a less confusingly-similar name).

For More Information

Photo by Pfly, CC BY-SA