In-person voting for the position of Clallam Conservation District Supervisor will be from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, March 19, 2021 at the Armory Square Office Building, 228 W First Street, Suite H, Port Angeles, WA. All Clallam County registered voters are eligible to vote.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, special precautions are being taken to make this in-person election as safe as possible, including extended voting hours, physical distancing, wearing of face masks, and sanitizing of voting equipment.

Mail-in ballots must be postmarked or received at the Clallam Conservation District office, 228 W First Street, Suite H, Port Angeles, WA 98362 no later than 8:00 p.m. on March 19, 2021.

For additional information visit the conservation district website or contact the election supervisor, Judy Minnoch by email or by phone 360-775-3746.

Click HERE to get to know the candidates.

As I’ve suggested numerous times over the past year, mulch is very important for getting newly planted trees and shrubs off to a good start. Now, some of you are probably thinking, “there’s a lot of different types of mulches; which is best?”

The short answer is any mulch is better than no mulch. But for the purposes of this article, we’re talking about woody plants, which, unlike annuals and herbaceous perennials, can tolerate a variety of mulches. Furthermore, we’re only talking about organic, biodegradable mulches.

When thinking about mulching trees and shrubs, try to envision a forest floor. Trees grow and die, century after century, all the while dropping leaves, needles, cones, twigs, lichen, moss, and other forms of plant material. Soil scientists refer to all this organic matter as the O (for organic) horizon. It’s its own ecosystem in various stages of decomposition, from fully decomposed compost below (humus) to fresh leaf litter and twigs above.

The centuries of duff buildup makes the ground springy, and the humus enhances soil structure, making it loose and allowing easy air and water movement. These soils absorb water readily and have a high capacity to store moisture. The soil covering conserves moisture and moderates soil temperatures, not getting too cold in winter or hot in summer. All this organic matter makes for great soil biology, contributing important nutrients for plants and providing plant health benefits that are not fully understood.

And if all this wasn’t enough, healthy forest soils provide excellent habitat for mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi have symbiotic relationships with plants, obtaining carbohydrates from the host plants while helping them absorb water and nutrients.

If this hasn’t convinced you of the value of mulch, how about less weeding? Mulch suppresses weed growth, thus reducing competition with your desirable plants.

Now back to the original question about which mulch is best. It all depends on what you have available, but for trees and shrubs, try to replicate nature – all the various bits of plant material you’d find on the forest floor. Chipped or ground tree limbs and shrubs (arborist trimmings) are a perfect substitute for centuries of litter from the trees. When chipped, the woody parts are fairly uniform in size and shape, and the bark, leaves and needles get mixed in, too.

Mulches from tub grinders have the same ingredients but tend to end up with some larger chunks of wood. While these chunks are not necessarily a problem, since they’ll eventually decompose, the grinder mulch isn’t as aesthetically pleasing as more uniform sized mulches. However, you can always top dress these coarse mulches with a thin layer of finer mulch.

Bark has been the most commonly used mulch for decades. It used to be an inexpensive and readily available byproduct from lumber and pulp mills. While not as readily available and inexpensive as in the past, it is still commonly used, and it has its advantages. Because bark is the most rot-resistant part of the tree, it lasts longer than other mulches. And because it is sorted into a variety of uniform sizes, it is a very attractive groundcover. However, when it comes to contributing to soil biology, bark is seriously lacking.

Sawdust is commonly used in commercial blueberry production, but its fine, uniform size can result in compaction and rapid decomposition, thus robbing the upper limits of the soil of nitrogen.

In other parts of the country where pines are the dominant trees, pine needles are used for mulch. Straw, grass clippings and leaves are suitable mulches, too. However, they decompose much more quickly than woody mulches, thus are more appropriate for vegetable and flower gardens comprised of annuals and herbaceous perennials.

As far as mulch application goes, consider how much you need before deciding how best to do it. If you’re covering a large area, you might want to purchase a large truckload and hire a small tractor service to spread it. A wheelbarrow works fine and might be your only feasible option for small areas. But filling up and pushing wheelbarrows gets old quickly. What starts out as a six-inch layer of mulch soon becomes four inches, then two, and you’ve defeated much of the purpose of the mulch.

Also, in most cases, mulch should be considered a temporary groundcover. The eventual goal should be for plants to cover the ground, or trees and shrubs to provide litter underneath them, just like nature does it in the forest.

Mulch Myths

Below are some common concerns expressed about mulches that have been dispelled through research (see Horticultural Myths by WSU’s Linda Chalker-Scott).

Woody mulches cause a nitrogen deficiency in the soil. FALSE. While small textured mulches like sawdust might cause a nitrogen deficiency at the soil interface, this deficiency does not manifest itself deeper in the soil where tree and shrub roots are.

Woody mulches acidify the soil. FALSE. While woody mulches may be more acidic, by the time they decompose, they have very little effect on the soil pH.

Cedar and black walnut mulches poison the soil. Mostly FALSE. Mulches derived from cedar and black walnut might inhibit seed germination, but they have little or no effect on established plants.

Undecomposed mulches pass along diseases from the chipped plants. Mostly FALSE. Typically, pathogens in the mulch do not make their way to the plant roots, and beneficial fungi will usually outcompete pathogens in a healthy soil environment, which includes mulch in various stages of decomposition.

Woody mulches are a fire hazard. Mostly FALSE. Coarse woody mulches present very little fire hazard; however, sawdust can spontaneously combust.

Woody mulches attract carpenter ants and termites. Mostly FALSE. Woody mulches, like cedar, tend to repel these and other pests.

Lastly, for some inspiration about the wonders of mulch, check out the video Back to Eden about world renowned mulcher Paul Gautschi from just down the road in Gardiner.

2021 Native Plant Sale Summary

Thank you to everyone who ordered native plants this year. A record setting 28,700 plants were distributed. These plants will provide decades, and in some cases centuries, of benefits to wildlife, fish and pollinators on the Olympic Peninsula.

A special word of appreciation goes out to our 16 wonderful volunteers who donated over 110 hours of their time to help us unload, sort, package and distribute more than 375 orders. Without the help of these amazing volunteers the plant sale truly wouldn’t be possible for our small staff of four, three of which are part-time employees. Thank you to Steve Johnson as well, for the continued use of his facilities at Lazy J Tree Farm.

We would also like to express our thanks to all those who offered their help. With Covid-19 restrictions we unfortunately weren’t able to accommodate as many volunteers as usual, but we were touched with how many were ready and willing to assist if needed. We are working on planning more events this year, so be sure to sign-up to volunteer if you would like to be notified of future opportunities.

Gardeners Wanted

Local farms are seeking gardeners and landscapers to take their manure, well their animal’s manure that is. If you are interested in putting manure to work in your garden or landscape, refer to the supplier list on our Manure Share Program page for farms near you with manure to give away. We encourage composting manure before use to kill weed seeds and pathogens. More information on composting manure can be found on our website.

After a long winter of scooping and storing manure, many of us have quite a large mountain of tarped manure in our barnyard. Now is a great time to start thinking of how to put that manure to use. There are several options to consider: removing manure off-site, spreading raw manure on pastures, or utilizing composted manure. Let’s further explore these options.

Removing manure off-site – On a small-acreage farm your horses and/or livestock may produce more manure nutrients than your pastures or landscaping can safely utilize. If that is the case, you will want to remove manure from your farm to reduce building up nutrients in your soil and possibly contaminating ground or surface water. Aren’t sure how to determine if you have more nutrients than your farm can use? Contact our planners for assistance.

If you determine you need to remove manure from your farm, you can sign up as a “supplier” of manure through our Manure Share Program, which helps put gardeners in touch with farms with excess manure. Another very successful option is a sign in your neighborhood advertising “free manure.” Many farms we work with have neighbors scrambling to get manure for use in gardens and landscaping.

Spreading raw manure on pastures – If you have determined you have suitable acreage to utilize the nutrients in the manure your animals generate, consider spreading it on pastures using the following guidelines:

• Take a soil test to determine if your pasture is deficient in nutrients. Instructions can be found on our website for mailing your soil in for testing, and our planners can help you interpret your results when you get them back.

• Apply only during the growing season, which in our area is generally March to October.

• Keep manure applications at least 100 feet from surface water and wellheads.

• Do not apply manure if the stubble height of a pasture is lower than 3 inches. Applying to overgrazed pastures can lead to pollution of surface and groundwater.

• Apply raw manure in a layer no more than ¼ to ½ inch deep.

• Wait around three weeks before grazing after manure is applied to help reduce the likelihood of parasite transmission.

Utilizing composted manure – Composting manure is an excellent way to not only reduce the size of your pile by roughly half, but to also make a much more useable product. Proper composting will kill most weed seeds and parasites, and will not burn plants like raw manure can. It is also much more stable at holding onto nutrients, so there is less likelihood of contaminated runoff leaching from compost when spreading it on a pasture versus raw manure.

There are some tricks and tips to consider when compost manure. Refer to our Technical Guide: Managing Manure on Horse & Livestock Farms for more information on composting manure, as well as ideas for manure storage.

April 2021 - Horse & Livestock Webinar Series:

Pasture Health and Weed Management

If you are unable to attend the live presentation, you can request a link to the recording be emailed to you during registration.

Protect Your Horses, Livestock and Pets from Poisonous Plants

Monday, April 5, 2021 from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m.

Clallam Conservation District is teaming up with Cathy Lucero of Clallam County Noxious Weed Control to identify local plants that can cause serious health problems in horses, livestock, pets, and in some cases humans. Many of these plants are also listed on the Clallam County Noxious Weed list as invasive species. Learning how to identify and control the spread of these plants can be crucial in protecting our health and that of our animals and wildlife.

Pasture & Hayland Management 101 - Reduce Weeds, Grow Feed

Monday, April 12, 2021 from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m.

Join Clallam Conservation District planners to learn how to increase the health and productivity of pastures and hayland and help control and prevent weeds. Participants will learn how using rotational grazing and other management techniques, as well as applying fertilizer based on a soil test, can increase the productivity of forage species and reduce weed competition. Identification of common forage grasses and legumes will also be covered to ensure you are growing the highest producing species for your site and situation.

Control of the Top 12 Pasture & Hayland Weeds in Clallam County

Monday, April 19, 2021 from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m.

Clallam Conservation District is teaming up with Clallam County Noxious Weed Control to explore ways to control, manage for, and in some situations eradicate, the top 12 most commonly found weeds in pastures and hayland in Clallam County. Weeds that will be discussed in detail include buttercup, oxeye daisy, tansy ragwort, Canada and bull thistles, stinging nettle, poison hemlock, bracken fern, horsetail, hairy nightshade, parentucellia, Himalayan blackberry, and reed canary grass. Participants will learn how to use a combination of tools, including grazing and/or mowing strategies, to control weed infestations.

Forest & Wildlife Webinar Series

The Conservation District is partnering with the Department of Natural Resources Small Forest Landowner’s Office to offer a webinar series for Clallam County forestland owners. The series will explore a variety of forest management and wildlife topics. Our first three webinars are listed below.

Preparing for Wildfire

Wednesday, April 7, 2021 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.

The third session in our Forestry & Wildlife series will be conducted by Ashley Blazina, Community Wildfire Preparedness Coordinator for the Washington Department of Natural Resources. She will discuss wildfire in Washington including a discussion on fire history of Clallam County, and will cover ways to make your home and landscaping more fire-resilient, on any budget.

Wildlife Habitat Management - If You Build It, They Will Come

Wednesday, April 14, 2021 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Providing wildlife habitat is one of the top objectives and reasons for owning forest lands in all national surveys of forest landowners! Ken Bevis, DNR Stewardship Fish & Wildlife Biologist, will present ideas on how to manage your habitats to best provide for a diversity of wildlife species, including descriptions of some wildlife habitat enhancements you can do yourself.

Introduction to Birdscaping

Wednesday, April 21, 2021 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Carolyn Wilcox, Clallam Conservation District board member and local wildlife guide and consultant, is offering this wonderful webinar on why and how to invite native birds and plants into your yard. Learn how you can help the native birds that lost their habitat, lack food and water, and are constantly under pressure from predators like domestic cats and non-native birds.

Birdscaping, Part II

Wednesday, April 28, 2021 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Carolyn Wilcox will build on her previous week’s presentation and teach participants how to create better shelter and space for native birds, including information on the importance of snags and dead trees. Topics will also include detailed nest box design, incorporating bird habitat into landscape planning, and impacts of noxious weeds on wild birds.

Invasive Species Alert: Zebra Mussel

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is asking the public to inspect aquarium moss balls that may be infected with invasive zebra mussels. Please refer to their full press release for more information.

Zebra mussels are a huge threat to our freshwater ecosystems. They consume available food, smother native species (as seen on the crayfish in the photo), and render beaches, water intakes and even boat engines unusable by attaching to virtually any hard surface. Zebra mussels are very tiny, and can live out of water for up to a month, so extreme care must be taken to prevent them from unknowingly being transported on boats, boat trailers or other infected surfaces.

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Thank You Conservation Sponsors!