Stewardship Partners’ Snoqualmie Strategy efforts continue to make a positive impact in the Snoqualmie Valley with our collaborative approach to conservation and sustainability. It’s been several years since a stakeholder suggested the lofty goal of “building rain gardens in all Snoqualmie Valley schools” at a Green Infrastructure working group session. With a coordinated effort involving multiple partners (The Snoqualmie Tribe, Nature Vision, and Aspect Consulting to name a few) we’ve started to fulfill that vision by installing one rain garden at Carnation Elementary School, with a second one planned for installation in the years to come. With continued support from the Bullitt Foundation, and most recently a King County Flood Control District Flood Reduction Grant, we are leading the charge from gray to green infrastructure.
The Full Circle Farm Demonstration Rain Garden and Carnation Green Infrastructure Integration project is another multi-partner project with a wider reach. It will tie together several efforts throughout the Valley with valued partners who are investing in both a viable economy and an environmentally sustainable future. Our friends at Full Circle Farm will continue their stellar farming and land stewardship practices by installing a large rain garden/bioswale to treat stormwater and agricultural runoff . This project is proposed right next to some of our riparian restoration efforts along Griffin Creek, allowing us to see the full extent of our work at this incredible site. Full Circle Farm will be the first farm in the Snoqualmie Valley that Stewardship Partners will work with to install green infrastructure features!
In addition, we will work with our new partners at Orenda Winery, strategically located across the highway from Full Circle, to perform a green infrastructure assessment in order to help them continue their dedication to sustainable land use practices. We will also work with the City of Carnation to inventory green infrastructure features and provide technical support for future green infrastructure installations as the city makes infrastructure upgrades as a result of increased flooding and other pressures due to ongoing development.
These are just a few examples of how the Snoqualmie Strategy continues to engage local stakeholders in a collaborative and innovative manner. Only by working together and taking action can we ensure future generations have clean air to breathe, fresh water to drink and plenty of healthy local food to eat.