Please join us for our next “Evening Talk” on May 20 at 7 p.m. in the Hemlock Forest Room. Jennifer Bond, a conservation planner with Clallam Conservation District for the past 15 years, will share information on the locally led conservation efforts of CCD. Jennifer has worked for Clallam Conservation District as a conservation planner for the past 15 years.

She is a 1996 graduate of Port Angeles High School and graduated from Gonzaga University with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in biology in 1998. Prior to joining the Conservation District, Jennifer worked as a field biologist for United States Geological Survey focusing on salmon research in the Snake and Columbia rivers and as research biologist for Washington State University in Prosser.

Jennifer primarily assists horse and livestock owners by working with them to develop conservation plans for their property. Conservation plans guide landowners through the use of Best Management Practices that protect farm profitability and livestock health while also protecting natural resources like water quality and soil condition.

Examples of BMPs include fencing livestock away from streams and wetlands, property storing and utilizing manure, improving pastures through practices like rotational grazing and soil testing, and reducing muddy areas where runoff threatens nearby water quality. Jennifer also provides technical assistance through site consultations with landowners, organizes a variety of educational events to promote BMPs and assists with the Pollution Identification and Correction program that identifies and remediates water pollution problems.

Jennifer and her husband, along with their three children, own a 23-acre farm east of Port Angeles. They raise grass-fed beef, grain-fed pork and hay. When not busy shuttling kids to 4-H meetings, sporting events and horse shows, Jennifer enjoys trail riding and backcountry camping with her horses and family in the Olympic Mountains.

Her “Evening Talk” presentation will focus on the Clallam Conservation District. The CCD was established in 1959 and is governed by a five-member volunteer board comprised of local landowners. It is a non-regulatory, special subdivision of state government and operates primarily on grants.

While the CCD has a long history of successful conservation projects, it’s generally viewed by partners as a quiet underdog with a reputation of “getting the job done.”

Partners have come to rely on the CCD, oftentimes mistakenly assumed to be another department of Clallam County, for securing grant funding, technical and engineering expertise and project management to implement numerous conservation programs and projects throughout the county.

Since the CCD has no regulatory power, it relies solely on cooperative relationships with farmers and landowners for all conservation efforts. The CCD administers several grant programs designed to offset the cost associated with installing best management practices such as constructing fencing to keep livestock away from streams and wetlands.

A new cost-sharing program recently has been established to help homeowners install new onsite septic systems to replace failing systems that are posing a pollution risk to Dungeness Bay. Other programs include farm planning assistance, on-site consultations, soil testing, low-impact development, natural landscaping, storm water management, water pollution identification and correction, and a variety of educational events throughout the year.

One of its better-known programs is the annual native plant sale which typically occurs on the first Saturday in March. This popular, pre-order sale provides bare-root native trees and shrubs at a low cost.

Join us to learn more about CCD programs, services and projects. Evening Talks at ONRC is funded through the Rosmond Forestry Education Fund, an endowment that honors the contributions of Fred Rosmond and his family to forestry and the Forks community. Refreshments will be served and a potluck of your favorite dessert is encouraged. For more information, contact F.S. Hanson at fsh2@uw.edu or 374-4556.