The San Juan Islands Conservation District (SJICD) is honored to collaborate with the Northwest Indian College in the formation and development of the Coast Salish Guardians Program on the Lummi Reservation. The Guardian Network in Canada now currently supports more than 200 tribal programs across Canada, supporting indigenous youth returning to their ancestral homeland and serving as the eyes, ears, and hands of the land. The Coast Salish Guardians program is part of a growing body of tribes establishing Guardian programs in the United States, programs seeking to provide education and employment pathways for indigenous youth in conservation. In addition to receiving grant funds to support program development, the SJICD conservation corps program – the Islands Conservation Corps – has received funding to conduct collaborative training opportunities in forest restoration, prescribed fire, and cultural resource assessments with Guardian members. This provides cross-cultural opportunities for knowledge sharing, and to support non-indigenous natural resource professionals in learning how to understand the role of indigenous stewardship in the landscape and advocate for Tribal rights for managing ancestral homelands.
Generations of farming along Hangman Creek have faced erosion and water quality challenges. Through a partnership between the Spokane and Pine Creek Conservation Districts and the Washington State Department of Ecology, local landowners are restoring natural stream channels, planting native vegetation, and stabilizing creek banks, all while keeping working lands productive. Together, they’re proving that voluntary conservation benefits both farms and fish.
Generations of farming along Hangman Creek have faced erosion and water quality challenges. Through a partnership between the Spokane and Pine Creek Conservation Districts and the Washington State Department of Ecology, local landowners are restoring natural stream channels, planting native vegetation, and stabilizing creek banks, all while keeping working lands productive. Together, they’re proving that voluntary conservation benefits both farms and fish.
Established in the 1890s and donated to Washington State University in 2020, Vetter Farm is jointly managed by the Stevens County Conservation District and WSU Extension. This 158-acre property serves as a working demonstration farm, supporting soil health research, agroforestry trials, and educational field days that bring local producers together to share ideas and test new approaches.
