COVID19 Office Update

We are open to the public by appointment and on our designated soil testing days, which are the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month. Please note that due to a Washington state wide mandate, face masks are required to be worn in our office.


2022 Native Plant Sale

Place Large Orders Now

Looking to purchase a large quantity of native plants at a discount? Place your order of 100 or more plants of the same species starting mid-August 2021 at through our Native Plants webpage. Orders may also be placed by calling us at 360-775-3747x5. These discounted bundles range in prices from $74 to $120 per 100 plants.

The deadline for placing large orders is November 1, 2021. The large orders will be available for pick-up on March 2 or March 3, 2022. Limited quantities are available at the large order pricing and will be sold on a first come, first served basis.

Regular Orders Starting in 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.


Native Plant Walks

 
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When: October 20 (Wednesday) from 10:00 – 11:30AM or 1:00 – 2:30PM
Where: Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles
Registration: Click HERE to Register. Due to limitations, registration is required for all participants.

Join Conservation District manager, Kim Williams, to walk trails near the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles and learn about plants native to our area, many of which can be purchased through our annual native plant sale. Selecting the right species for site conditions, as well as which species have high value for pollinators and birds will be discussed. Any invasive weeds spotted during the walk, such as the herb Robert shown in the photo, will also be pointed out.

 

Orca Recovery on the Olympic Peninsula

Save the Dates: October 5 - 9, 2021

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We are currently working with local Tribes and agencies to plan some exciting events throughout the Olympic Peninsula this October. The events will be designed to bring awareness to the plight of the southern resident Orca whale through educational workshops and volunteer activities, such as tree planting and in-stream trash clean-up. These events will be designed to aid in salmon recovery efforts since the Orca whale’s diet is comprised of 80% salmon.

We are still fine tuning locations and dates for the events, but plan to have opportunities throughout the county during the week of October 5th through the 9th. If you are interested in learning more about these events please SIGN-UP for more information. As we sort out the details, we will send an email to you with sign-up opportunities for specific events.


Horse & Livestock Workshop

Small Farm Tour: Equines, Goats, and Poultry

When/Where: September 9 from NOON – 1:30 PM at a farm in Agnew
Registration: Click HERE to Register. Due to limitations, registration is required for all participants.

Join Conservation District planners for a tour of an Agnew area farm, just shy of five acres, that houses a variety of equines, goats, and poultry. Learn how landowners have utilized mud-free paddocks, practice rotational grazing, and manage manure utilizing a three bin manure storage structure. Participants will also tour the farm’s track paddock that provides room for equines to stretch their legs while letting the pastures rest and regrow.


Manure Storage Made Easy

All this beautiful weather makes it hard to believe that winter lurks around the corner. Carving out a bit of time now to prepare for the winter months, while the days are long and weather warm, will help make the transition to wet, dark, and cold a bit easier for you and your livestock. A good place to start is ensuring you have a good manure management plan in place!

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Manure should ideally be collected from stalls and mud-free paddock on a daily basis. By building a well-designed manure storage structure, you will create a neat, tidy spot to store manure as well as prevent polluted runoff from entering surface or groundwater.

When deciding where to store your manure, consider the following:

  • Pick a high, dry location away from wells or surface water (minimum of 100 feet, further if land is sloped toward water features or wells).

  • Choose a spot that is close to where you will be collecting the manure so you don’t have to haul manure farther than you have to. Also ensure year-round access is available for a truck and/or tractor to help with manure removal.

  • Determine which direction your prevailing wind comes from and try to site manure storage to keep odors from impacting your home or your neighbors.

There are lots of designs options for building manure storage structures and plans can range from inexpensive wood pallet bins to concrete bases with timber walls. Regardless of what design you choose for your storage, any concentrated pile of manure should be covered with a roof or tarp.

Photo 2 - Manure Storage Made Easy, photo courtesy of Horses For Clean Water.jfif
  • Compost Bins – There are a variety of shapes and styles of compost bins. We recommend a minimum of 2 bins so raw manure can be loaded into one bin while finished compost can be removed from the second bin.

  • Long Term Storage – A concrete base and durable walls (made of cinder blocks, concrete or treated timbers) is recommended.

  • Temporary Storage – Can be a simple pile covered with a tarp or a portable structure.

Want more assistance? District planners are available to help you develop a manure management plan for your farm. Inquire for assistance HERE.


 
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September is Eat Local Month

Eat Local First Olympic Peninsula is hosting a month-long celebration in September to explore the many options we have in our area to enjoy local food.

Throughout the month, the community is invited to connect with our local food system through farmers and farmstands, restaurants, farmers markets, local grocers and retailers, food banks, and seafood producers. Check out Eat Local First Olympic Peninsula’s website, Facebook or Instagram for more information on eating local to support our region’s farms and ensure more dollars stay in our community which helps support the longevity of our farmland.

 

Photo courtesy of Clallam 2 fire rescue

Photo courtesy of Clallam 2 fire rescue

How to Prepare for a Wildfire

With the hot, dry conditions western Washington has faced this summer, it always pays to be prepared for wildfire. We highly recommend taking the time to read How to Prepare for a Wildfire from the WA State Department of Natural Resources website. It gives excellent information on explains how to protect you and your loved ones as well as your property, and details the steps to take now so that you can act quickly when you, your home, or your business is in danger.


WEED WATCH: Knotweed

The fight to control knotweed species (Polygonum spp.) in Clallam County has been underway for over 20 years, and unfortunately this tenacious plant persists. Japanese, giant, Bohemian, and Himalayan knotweed are all highly invasive, non-native plants of concern in Clallam County, as well as many other counties throughout Washington. They are found in dense patches, typically along streams and riverbanks, but also in roadsides and gardens. Knotweed begins sprouting in April, and has bamboo-like stems, large leaves, and whitish to whitish-green drooping clusters of flowers that appear from July to September. Depending on the subspecies, they can reach more than 12 feet in height and are very aggressive colonizers that generally spread by rhizomes, but sometimes by seed.

Knotweed

Knotweed

Originally introduced as an ornamental, knotweed is frequently spread by accident when root or stem fragments are moved by people, machinery, animals or water. Tiny root fragments as small as one inch can produce new plants, which makes it very difficult to keep this plant under control.

Knotweed is a huge concern along streams and rivers. It is extremely aggressive and fast growing, able to grow up to a foot in a week. It prevents other plants from growing beneath it, and can compete with, and permanently displace native vegetation leading to impaired fish and wildlife habitat. At the end of the growing season, a mass of dead stems remain standing that crowd out native seedlings, and leave river banks vulnerable to erosion and flooding. Flooding can also transport knotweed throughout a river system, leading to a viscous cycle of new infestations all along the waterway.

Once established knotweed is very difficult to eradicate. Your assistance with identification and control is imperative to help keep knotweed in check in Clallam County. For more information please refer to Clallam County’s Noxious Weed Control website.


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Common Teasel Weed Pull

Clallam Conservation District partnered with Clallam County Noxious Weed Control Board to help coordinate a volunteer weed eradication event last month. Volunteers bagged up hundreds of seed heads of invasive common teasel plants that were threatening to choke out native wetland vegetation along the west-side of the Elwha River estuary. For more information view the common teasel factsheet view the factsheet on Clallam County’s Noxious Weed Control website.

If you would like to be informed of upcoming volunteer activities, please sign-up to be added to our volunteer mailing list.

 
 

 

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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


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