Stewardship Partners provided a $20,000 grant to Northwest Chinook Recovery to organize a group of farmers along the Tualco Valley of the Skykomish River. These six farmers, have come together to form The Lower Skykomish River Habitat Conservation Group (LSRHCG). The LSRHCG is developing a plan to protect viable agricultural lands and open space and to restore fish and wildlife habitat along the Skykomish. The LSRHCG knows that only by involving agricultural landowners in the process can active agriculture be preserved and fish habitat restored. In addition to protecting the agricultural and habitat values of their valley, the LSRHCG intends to create a model for other agricultural landowners and groups to put to use.

The Skykomish is one of the top three salmon producing rivers in Puget Sound, with 15 to 20% of the remaining wild Chinook in the region. These six landowners collectively own 1,500 acres and lease 300 more, which they actively farm along 15 miles of the Skykomish River between Sultan and the confluence with the Snoqualmie River.

The landowner group has received nearly $500,000 toward creating a conservation plan. Through this process, the landowners have made great strides in developing positive relationships with the Tulalip Tribes, Snohomish County and additional farmers. In addition, the project is working with Cascade Land Conservancy to assess the use of conservation easements and other mechanisms to protect habitat and open space while ensuring the economic viability of farming.

At the time this project began in late 2000, an HCP was considered the only process available to comply with the Endangered Species Act. Since that time, the LSRHCG with assistance from Mentor Law Group, has identified other processes under state law that could be used either as an alternative to or as a preliminary step toward an HCP. These options include development of a Habitat Incentives Agreement under RCW Chapter 77.55, or use of a pilot method developed through the Agriculture, Fish and Water (AFW) process that allows agricultural landowners to implement agricultural conservation standards developed by the Natural Resource Conservation Service and reviewed by other agencies through the AFW process.