Drought research earns Whidbey conservation district regional distinction

The Whidbey Island Conservation District was recently recognized for its efforts in…

October 29, 2016 1:30 am
Whidbey Island Conservation District Board Supervisors Sarah Richards, Ed Adams, and Tom Fournier, and District Manager Karen Bishop pose for a photo with Commissioner Dean Longrie of the Washington State Conservation Commission, who is the organization’s Conservation District Western representative, and Mark Clark, the commission’s executive director. The Whidbey district was presented with the 2016 Northwest Region District of the Year award.
Whidbey Island Conservation District Board Supervisors Sarah Richards, Ed Adams, and Tom Fournier, and District Manager Karen Bishop pose for a photo with Commissioner Dean Longrie of the Washington State Conservation Commission, who is the organization’s Conservation District Western representative, and Mark Clark, the commission’s executive director. The Whidbey district was presented with the 2016 Northwest Region District of the Year award.

The Whidbey Island Conservation District was recently recognized for its efforts in drought research with the 2016 Northwest Region District of the Year award.

The honor was presented on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at a Northwest Region Conservation District’s meeting in Puyallup by Mark Clark, executive director of the Washington State Conservation Commission, and Commissioner Dean Longrie, the organization’s Conservation District Western representative.

Whidbey district board supervisors Ed Adams, Tom Fournier, and Sarah Richards, and District Manager Karen Bishop were there to receive the award.

According to a press release, WICD distinguished itself from the other 12 districts in the region this year through its collaboration with the Natural Resource Conservation Service and San Juan Island Conservation District in an extensive drought research project. Leadership from WICD staff and board supervisors was instrumental, the release said.

“This award recognized the leadership role WICD staff is taking in regional conservation partnership projects,” Bishop said. “We feel that to be most effective locally, we need an understanding of natural resource issues beyond Whidbey Island – at a regional, state and national level. We can then bring that information back to our local landowners as they work on their conservation projects.”

Additionally, Bishop’s role as president for the Washington Association of District Employees and input from Richards to the commission’s Communications and Partnership Building Committee were noted in the selection process.