Presentation to

the U.S. EPA Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities

Committee

March 29, 2011

Ron Shultz, Policy Director 

Washington State Conservation Commission
• Orientation to Puget Sound

• Agriculture in the Puget Sound Basin

• Challenges

• Opportunities

• Case Studies

• Moving Forward


• Eight major habitats occur in Puget Sound; kelps beds

and eelgrass meadows cover the largest area.

• Other major habitats include estuaries, intertidal 

wetlands, mudflats and sandflats. 

• Upland habitats include the forest zone covering 61% of

the area.

• Other key upland habitat types include floodplains and 

prairies.
Scientists have identified about 221 

species of fish in Puget Sound and 

about 66,000 marine birds breed in or

near the Sound.

Several Pacific salmon species utilize

Puget Sound, including chinook, coho, 

chum, pink, and sockeye salmon. 

Anadromous steelhead and cutthroat

trout also utilize Puget Sound habitats. 

Nine primary marine mammal species

occur in Puget Sound including: harbor

seal, California sea lion, Steller sea lion, 

Northern elephant seal, harbor

porpoise, Dall's porpoise, killer whale, 

gray whale, and minke whale.

• Puget Sound population has doubled from 2 million to 4 

million since 1960 and is projected to reach 5.4 million by 

2025.
Tribes

• 14 Tribes in Puget 

Sound.

• Co-managers in natural 

resources.

• Major Issues:

– Salmon recovery

– Shellfish

– Water rights

– PS fisheries
• In the 12 counties in the Puget Sound Basin, there are:

• 11,501 farms totaling 580,000 acres.

• All counties have seen an increase in the number of 

farms since 2002.

• Puget Sound agriculture has an economic value of over $1 

billion, including processing value.

• Farm animals in the Puget Sound Basin:

- Cattle and Calves 243,471

- Dairy Cows 127,847

- Chickens 2,370,000

- Horses 26,232


Inputs of nutrients and pathogens affect ecosystem functions, 

the health and habitat of aquatic species, including economically 

important species (such as salmon and shellfish), and human

health.

As a general rule, phosphorus tends to be the limiting nutrient in 

freshwater systems, and nitrogen tends to be the limiting 

nutrient in marine systems. This means that increased loadings

of these nutrients can have significant effects on the character

and condition of these respective systems.

Pathogen pollution is an equally significant water quality

problem in the Puget Sound Basin. Pathogens are diseasecausing microorganisms that include a variety of protozoa, 

bacteria, and viruses. Some pathogens occur naturally in the

marine environment. Most, however, are carried by host

organisms and are associated with human and animals feces
• There are 535 monitoring sites within Puget Sound and 

Puget Sound watersheds that are impaired for dissolved 

oxygen. 

• Nutrients sources include drainage from agricultural, 

forestry, and residential activities and other sources.

• Freshwater sites – 432

• Marine sites – 103

• 913 monitoring sites within the Puget Sound and Puget

Sound watersheds exceed the water quality standard for

fecal coliform bacteria. 

• Freshwater sites – 769

• Marine sites - 144
1. Tension between regulatory approach and voluntary 

incentive-based system. Assurances vs. implementation.

2. Growth management – requirements to protect critical areas

while retaining ability to have viable, productive agriculture.

3. Growth pressures and economy – land near urban areas

becomes more valuable for development than ag production.

4. Multiple governmental entities, including federal, state, 

local, tribal. Strong stakeholder groups in all sides of the

issue. Lack of trust.

5. Reduced budgets limit traditional responses, such as 

acquisition, incentive programs.

6. Mitigation on agricultural lands – salmon habitat, mitigation

banking.
1. Reduced budgets make collaboration a more attractive 

option. Agencies with limited resources work together.

2. Shift focus to resource outcomes.

3. Process where an entity of multi-jurisdictional and 

stakeholder groups oversees the response strategy.

4. Key is to have accountability for result and adaptively 

manage.

5. Key question....who does the accountability?
1. Small river basin flowing through heavy ag area.

2. Poor water quality due to fecals. Sources include septic

systems, stormwater runoff, agriculture.

3. Samish Bay shellfish closures.

4. Agriculture sources include livestock, horses, crops.

5. Process: Clean Samish Initiative - CSI

6. Established by Ecology to implement TMDL.

7. Includes local stakeholders and agencies.

8. Monitoring and identify “hot spots”

9. Issue: Relationship between incentive approach and 

regulatory.

1. Independent state agency established in 2007.

2. Purpose is to craft NEP Comprehensive Plan – the 2020 

Action Agenda.

3. Improve linkage of activities to identified threats.

4. Link funding at all levels to the actions.

5. Track progress and adaptively manage the plan.

6. GMAP – Government Management Accountability and 

Performance Program. Governor led panel.

7. Accountability – actions compared to results leading to 

changes.

1. Addressing resource inputs from dairy operations.

2. State program using local conservation district to work 

with dairy operators to develop and implement dairy 

management plans.
1998 Dairy Nutrient Management 

Act

• Goal -- Zero Discharge of Pollutants

• Management Plan by 7/31/2002

• All Dairies Implement the Plan by 

12/31/2003 

• Compliance: Pro-active Inspection, Referral 

& Fine 
Technical Assistance Provided

Plan Development

•Structure Design

•Vegetative Practices

•Nutrient Management 

Practices

Plan Implementation

•One on One 

•General
Producer, State & Federal 

Contributions

CD NRCS Farmers

4 ftes x 6 yrs 4 ftes x 7 yrs >250 Farms

$1.1 Million $2.7 Million $1.3 Million

~ 54, 000 acres implementing BMPs

~ 400 miles of buffered watercourse

> 2,100 acres in grass buffer strips

Bellingham Herald
2010 annual report of CREP accomplishments:

• 916 total contracts, including 9 for the new hedgerow 

practice and 2 for the new wetland enhancement

practice. 

• 12,976 acres of riparian habitat restored and protected. 

• 740 miles of stream buffered by CREP. 

• The plants are growing about 11-29” per year with a 

median survival of 91-93%. 

• 4-8 year old plants already provide shade over 66% of the

stream surface (small streams). 
CREP Buffer

Nooksack River

Lynden

CREP buffer along Kamm Creek, which flows into the Nooksack River. 
• Limited resources at all levels will require targeted approaches

and coordination.

• Targeted approaches need to:

- Identify source problems with independent science.

- All involved need to accept the process and outcomes. 

TFW example.

- Must utilize an incentive-based system with a regulatory 

system. Use conservation district landowner

relationships.

- Focus on results – implementation and resource 

improvements.

- Find ways to leverage limited resources.

- Utilize economic drivers for ag landowners. Includes all 

farm sizes and types. Goal is to keep land in production.
Ron Shultz, Policy Director

WA State Conservation Commission

rshultz@scc.wa.gov

360-407-7507