Small Landowner Forum to be held in Forks
Government entities will offer information 
about "protecting" and "saving" land and buffers

Press Release from State of Washington
Contact: Kirk Hanson, 360-902-1391

Clallam County, WA - July 1, 2001 - On Wednesday, July 11th a Small Landowner Forum will be held at the Olympic Natural Resources Center in Forks.  The Forum will provide information on a variety of assistance programs available to small landowners in the Olympic region.  Scheduled speakers include: Conservation District, Clallam County, the North Olympic Land Trust and the Department of Natural Resources' Stewardship and Small Forest Landowner Programs.

The information presented will primarily target owners of agricultural and forestland, however all small landowners are encouraged to attend.

Speakers will each make a 20-minute presentation on their programs.  An open social will follow the presentations where landowners can talk with agency representatives one-to-one.

DNR's Small Forest Landowner Office will explain the Forestry Riparian Easement Program, a compensation program aimed at reimbursing small harvesters for the timber they are required to leave in riparian areas according to the new Forest Practices Rules.  DNR's Stewardship program will discuss the various financial and technical assistance programs they have available to help forest landowners develop management plans for their property.

The Conservation District will talk about the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, a cost-sharing program aimed at reestablishing forested buffers along streams and waterways in agricultural areas.

Clallam County will discuss a conservation easement program they are administering for protecting water quality and salmon habitat.  The North Olympic Land Trust will also discuss conservation easements, the role of land trusts in protecting the ecological, agricultural, forested and historic qualities of private land, and several grants they administer for the conservation of natural resources.

The Small Landowner Forum begins at 6:30 p.m. on July 11th at the Olympic Natural Resources Center's Hemlock-Forest Room.

For more information on this program, please contact Kirk Hanson at the Small Forest Landowner Office by phone at: 360-902-1391 or e-mail at: kirk.hanson@wadnr.gov.  For directions to the Olympic Natural Resources Center, please call June Powers at: 360.374.3220 or e-mail at: jpowers@u.washington.edu.