SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Washington (NRCS-WA) has set the dates, times, and locations for all Local Working Group meetings occurring in 2024.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners help their land through completely voluntary, non-regulatory, incentive-and-science based programs.

Local Working Groups (LWG) are NRCS’s way of listening to people interested in agriculture and natural resources so they can best serve local communities across Washington. Local Working Groups are typically composed of agricultural producers, Tribes, owners/operators of nonindustrial private forest land, professionals representing agricultural and natural resource interests, and individuals representing a variety of disciplines in the soil, water, wetland, plant, forestry, and wildlife sciences who are interested in agricultural and natural resource issues in their communities. Local Working Group participation is also open to the public.

All are welcome and encouraged to attend their local working group meeting - listed below by area. Please note: LWGs are not required to designate a location until three weeks prior to their meeting. Please check this webpage for the latest information.

Big Bend Local Working Group

Date & Time: Feb. 13, 2024 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Location:  USDA-NRCS Ephrata Service Center
                  2145 Basin St. SW
                  Ephrata, WA 98823-9451

Area: Grant and Kittitas counties (Columbia Basin and Kittitas Conservation Districts, respectively).

Chair: Mark Moore

District Conservationist: Jon Paul Pierre
                                           jonpaul.pierre@usda.gov
                                           (509) 925-8585

North Central Local Working Group

Date & Time: Feb. 21, 2024 from 4 to 7 p.m.

Location:  Chelan School District Office
                  309 E. Johnson Ave
                  Chelan, WA 98816

Area: Okanogan, Foster Creek, South Douglas, & Cascadia.

Chair: John McClean

District Conservationist: Sarah Troutman
                                           sarah.troutman@usda.gov
                                           (509) 422-2750

Northeast Local Working Group

Date & Time: Meeting: April 4, 2024 at 12:30 p.m.

Location:  Stevens County Conservation District (Conference Room)
                  232 Williams Lake Road
                  Colville, WA 99114

Area: Stevens, Pend Oreille, & Ferry.

Chair: Andy Kroiss

District Conservationist: Saundra Morris (acting)
                                           saundra.morris@usda.gov
                                           (509) 685-0858

Northwest Local Working Group

Date & Time: March 4, 2024; April 1, 2024; and May 6, 2024 (optional).

Location: To be determined (Click here for the latest info.)

Area: Snohomish, Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan Islands, Whidbey Island, Clallam, & Jefferson.

Chair: Brandy Reed

District Conservationist: Sarah Tanuvasa
                                           sarah.tanuvasa@usda.gov
                                           (360) 488-4819

Palouse Local Working Group

Date & Time: April 2, 2024

Location: To be determined. (Click here for the latest info.)

Area: Whitman, Pine Creek, Palouse, Spokane County, & Rock Lake.

Chair: Larry Cochran

District Conservationist: Rich Edlund
                                           richard.edlund@usda.gov
                                           509-381-6727

Puget Sound Working Group

Date & Time: Feb. 21, 2024 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Location:  Thurston Conservation District Office
                  2918 Ferguson St. SW
                  Tumwater, WA 98512

Area: Thurston, Kitsap, Mason, Pierce, & King.

Chair: Sarah Moorehead

District Conservationist: Lynn Khuat
                                           lynn.khuat@usda.gov
                                           (253) 256-6741

Snake River Local Working Group

Date & Time: Feb. 14, 2024 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Location:  Dayton Best Western Hotel
                  507 E Main St,
                  Dayton, WA 99328

Area: Asotin County, Columbia, Franklin, Pomeroy, & Walla Walla.

Chair: Lance Frederick

District Conservationist: Tracy Hanger
                                           tracy.hanger@usda.gov
                                           509-956-3752

South Central Local Working Group

Date & Time: March 12, 2024 9 a.m. to noon.

Location:  Barker Ranch, West Richland
                  85305 Snively Road
                  West Richland, WA 99353

(Remote call-in will be available, (Click here for the latest info.)

Area: Central and Eastern Klickitat, Benton, North & South Yakima Conservation Districts, & Underwood.

Chair: Michael Crowder

District Conservationist: Chris Wright
                                           christopherl.wright@usda.gov
                                           (509) 367-8553

Southwest Local Working Group

Date & Time: Feb. 22, 2024, from 10 a.m. to noon.

Location:  Cowlitz Historical Museum
                  405 Allen St.
                  Kelso, Wash. 98626

(Remote call-in will be available, (Click here for the latest info.)

Area: Clark, Underwood (Skamania), Lewis County, Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, Grays Harbor, & Pacific County.

Chair: Joe Shulke

District Conservationist: Bobette Parsons
                                           bobette.parsons@usda.gov
                                           (360) 557-2089

West Palouse Working Group

Date & Time: Feb. 21, 9 a.m. to noon.

Location:  Washington Association of Wheat Growers
                  109 E 1st Ave
                  Ritzville, WA 99169

Area: Lincoln & Adams.

Chair: Jeff Schibel

District Conservationist: Carolyn Edenbo
                                           carolyn.edenbo@usda.gov
                                           (509) 659-1761