Thurston Conservation District proposes joint environmental initiatives with Lacey 

The Thurston Conservation District (TCD) aims to partner more closely with the City of Lacey through conservation projects that include stormwater management, community gardens, habitat restoration and water conservation planning. 

Mayor Andy Ryder requested a work session on the issue after the Lacey City Council received a briefing from the district roughly two months earlier. The work session was held at Lacey City Hall on July 14.

TCD Board of Supervisors Chair T.J. Johnson and Executive Director Sarah Moorehead said the partnership model is designed to extend the city's capacity and reach residents, who might not otherwise take part in city programs. 

The agency, founded in 1948, works voluntarily with landowners and has no regulatory authority, allowing staff to assist with smaller conservation projects outside the city’s funding priorities. 

Moorehead pointed to an ongoing restoration project along Woodland Creek near Greg J. Cuoio Community Park as an example of how a larger partnership with the city could work.

The creek ranks among six priority streams in South Sound for salmon recovery. The district has already secured an agreement with the city for restoration work at the site, while extending outreach to surrounding private landowners. 

Moorehead said a similar approach guided the district's work with City of Olympia, where TCD staff mapped farmland and compared it with income data to locate neighborhoods lacking access to fresh food. 

That analysis supported new community gardens in transitional housing areas and partnerships with nonprofits, including Garden-Raised Bounty and the Young Women’s Christian Association.

Moorehead said a similar analysis could help identify locations in Lacey for future gardens and food access projects. 

Funding proposal 

Johnson said the district is seeking a more stable source of local funding, as federal and state grant programs become less predictable. 

A change in state law two years ago allows conservation districts to increase annual rates, which calls for charges ranging from $5 to $25 per parcel, plus 10 cents per acre, with future adjustments tied to inflation.

Johnson said the district’s current $5 assessment generates about $550,000 annually, compared with an annual budget of about $10 million, with the balance funded through grants and contracts. 

A public hearing on the proposed increase last month drew more than two dozen participants.

"We had 28 people show up either in person, online, or provide written comment, and not a single person dissented," Johnson said. "Every one of them said, 'Please do this.' It works out to about 6 cents per property per year additional to leverage that additional $2 million." 

The proposal now heads to the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners, which plans to hold a public hearing this fall. 

If approved, the TCD plans to invest $1 million a year over the next decade in farmland preservation, compared with the roughly $200,000 the county currently spends annually through its Conservation Futures Fund. Johnson said Thurston County is losing farmland faster than any other county in Western Washington. 

Education center 

The district is also searching for about 30 acres for a conservation education center with multiple buildings, a farmers market and a native plant nursery. 

Council members suggested possible locations, including Lake Lois Habitat Reserve and Greg J. Cuoio Community Park. 

Lacey Parks, Culture & Recreation Director Jennifer Burbidge thanked the district for its work at the park, noting crews removed about 3,600 pounds of invasive ivy in May, with additional work still underway. 

The council took no formal action during the work session. Moorehead called the presentation the start of an ongoing conversation between the two organizations about future partnership opportunities.