Jefferson County Conservation District, North Olympic Salmon Coalition, and Jefferson Land Trust will host a volunteer planting event on Saturday, October 14th for Orca Recovery Day at the Snow Creek Estuary Preserve. More details to come!

Jefferson County Conservation District’s Natural Landscaping Course

The Natural Landscaping Course will be offered again this fall. Email Joe Holtrop at jholtrop@jeffersoncd.org if you would like to get on the list to receive details and registration links when they are available.

The interactive three-class, two-field trip course emphasizes native plants and sustainable landscape design and maintenance practices. Two courses separate courses will be offered. A course with classes in Port Hadlock will emphasize large lot landscaping, while one in Port Townsend will have a more urban focus.

Conservation district manager Joe Holtrop will teach participants how to analyze the unique ecological conditions of their properties and develop site-specific landscape plans designed to meet homeowner needs while being in harmony with the environment. Holtrop, who holds master’s degrees in landscape architecture and adult education, has been teaching about sustainable landscaping for over 30 years. In addition to his formal education, he draws on his permaculture design training and experience, emphasizing the principle of working with rather than against nature.

Through three classes and two field trips, each 1 ½ hours in length, course participants are coached through the steps necessary to prepare individualized landscape plans that will conserve water and save time and money, while also enhancing wildlife habitat and biodiversity. Emphasis is on native plants and sustainable landscape design and maintenance practices.

A $15 registration fee covers the cost of the book Grow Your Own Native Landscape, access to downloadable reference materials, and facility rental. The cost for couples that share one book is $20. Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged.

NOTE: We will offer this course again in the fall. Send email to Joe Holtrop jholtrop@jeffersoncd.org to be added to the list for the fall course and we will send you a registration link when it is available. You can also check back here for information about the course this fall.

Jefferson County Conservation District 2022-2023 Newsletter

Click here for a PDF of the newsletter with live links.

Virtual Workshop: Planning a Native Landscape

On December 14th, 2021 and January 12th, 2022 District manager, Joe Holtrop presented on how to plan and implement a native plant-based landscape. The presentations covered basic site analysis, an overview of common native trees and shrubs, plant selection, bare-root plant care, planting and maintenance. Please use the following links to access the recorded presentations: 

December 14, 2021, 4:00-5:30pm: https://youtu.be/GJ3vaHohJmU
January 12, 2022, 6:30-8:00pm: https://youtu.be/V8W-7Oq181Y

PRESS RELEASE

8/5/2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FORESTLAND AERIAL HERBICIDE SPRAYING

The Jefferson County Conservation District will no longer assist Pope Resources, a forest products company, with the publication of a map and other information concerning the aerial spraying of herbicides as part of Pope Resource’s forest management practices.

Said Al Latham, Chairperson of the Jefferson County Conservation District Board or Supervisors, “Since the late 1980’s the Conservation District has broadened public notification of aerial spraying through an informal agreement that was negotiated with area commercial timberland managers.” By this agreement the Conservation District issued press releases, including a map showing the areas those companies were intending to spray with herbicides, and also listed the types of chemicals to be used along with the approximate dates of spraying.

According to Al Cairns, Conservation District Manager, after over 30 years that arrangement has ended. “Pope Resources has informed us that they will manage public notification themselves”, Cairns said.  “We did agree that the Conservation District would publish notice of this change and direct our residents to an area of the Pope Resources webpage which has all the information the Conservation District used to compile and publish.”

Information about aerial spraying, including maps of areas to be sprayed and the herbicides used, can be found at: https://www.popeneighbor2neighbor.com/.  Pope Resources will provide written notification to all landowners within 1,000 feet of aerial applications.

PT Leader Article:

Good fences make safer shellfish, healthy salmon

This article was written following a Livestock Watering for Managed Grazing workshop hosted by JCCD and co-sponsored by the Chimacum Grange on March 30, 2017.