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The Need For Conservation Education Tools
 Private landowners play a vital role in the management of our region’s natural resources. Conservation and stewardship measures undertaken by landowners have a critical impact on agriculture and forest production, water quality, soil erosion, fish and wildlife habitats, shorelines, flood control, and groundwater resources. Approximately 60 percent of Washington State lands are privately owned. Recent population growth has lead to a trend of larger to smaller parcel sizes, and new landowners with less land management experience.
In many cases landowners want to engage in conservation and stewardship practices, but need technical and financial assistance. Conservation tools education programs can introduce landowners to land management tools, and can direct them to agencies and organizations that can further assist them with implementation of conservation and stewardship options.
WSU Extension’s Conservation Tools Education Program
The Stewardship and Conservation Tools Education Program has brought together landowners and public/private organizations working to steward natural lands in the Puget Sound region. Participating agencies inform private landowners about the variety of tools available for land stewardship, focusing on non-regulatory, incentive-based programs. They provide guidance to help landowners understand the application requirements, consequences, and incentives associated with each option. Property owners are educated by means of brochures, workshops, and one-on-one site visits. Landowners with stewardship tools experience also inform their peers via presentations and testimonials.
Audiences that have benefited from WSU Extension conservation tools education include:
- Landowners: Workshops have been held for landowners living within specific watershed areas. Watershed areas are selected based on the conservation and stewardship priorities of the partners involved. Examples include rivers and shorelines with important salmon habitat, areas with many small forest land owners, or rapidly developing areas seeking to conserve open space and natural resource lands.
- Real Estate Agents: Stewardship and Conservation Tools Education has also been integrated into WSU Extension Realtor Education programs. The agents learn about both regulatory and volunteer programs, ranging from shoreline buffers required by the Growth Management and Shoreline Management Acts, to tax incentives for lands voluntarily enrolled in open space and conservation easement programs. The goal of this effort is to facilitate the transfer of stewardship and conservation tools information from real estate agents to the large number of parcel owners and buyers with whom they interact.
- Volunteer stewards: WSU Extension volunteers such as watershed stewards, livestock advisors, forest advisors, and beach watchers learn about conservation tools during stewardship training, then work with or educate landowners in their communities.
Photo information: Maple Creek Ravine in King County, by Paul Racette.
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