Snoqualmie Valley farmers take lead on habitat improvements that help farms and fish

2005 Archived News

This spring, the owners of Fall City Farms, Jubilee Farms and River Bend Ranch are all voluntarily planting trees and vegetation that benefit fish and riparian habitat in the Snoqualmie watershed.

Robert and Debbie Arenth, owners of Fall City Farms, just finished a 3/4-acre planting project on Neal Road to close the last remaining gap on their property's forested riverbank. Next week, Jubilee Farms owner Erick Haakenson will oversee a one-acre planting as the first step in restoring the riparian forest on a mile-long section of the Snoqualmie River in partnership with the nonprofit organization, Stewardship Partners. And in mid-April, River Bend Ranch owners Dave Mauk and Debra Jaffe will complete a streamside planting that will address drainage issues on their property and improve riparian habitat.

These landowners, along with many others in the valley, are taking the initiative to restore the banks of the Snoqualmie River as a means to help restore fish habitat in ways that are compatible with their business and land management goals. For example, planting willow stakes down the banks and trees on top of the banks slows erosion.

The planting projects are the outcome of partnerships between the landowners, King County and Stewardship Partners, a non-profit conservation organization. Project funding support was also provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and King Conservation District.

Having healthy, forested river banks are a critical piece of the effort to restore healthy salmon runs back to the Snoqualmie River. These projects support a ten-year goal to have 125 acres of restored riparian forest in the Snoqualmie watershed.

Many farms along the river, including Jubilee and Fall City Farms, are also becoming certified as 'Salmon Safe' - a new program being implemented locally by Stewardship Partners to reward farmers who adopt fish-friendly agriculture practices.

Stewardship Partners (www.stewardshippartners.org) is a non-profit conservation organization that promotes voluntary conservation efforts and has a targeted program to promote both agriculture and restoration in the Snoqualmie Valley.

More information about the Snoqualmie watershed and King County's agriculture programs can be found on the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks' Web page (http://dnr.metrokc.gov/).