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Soil and Water district launches pollinator pledge, offers seed and tree-sale updates
Summary
At the May 20 Agriculture, Planning and Tourism Committee meeting, the Washington County Soil and Water Conservation District gave an update on a new pollinator pledge, seed distribution and a tree sale, and described a $6,000 state Part B grant program for small conservation projects.
The Washington County Soil and Water Conservation District told the Agriculture, Planning and Tourism Committee on May 20 that it has launched a pollinator-pledge program, is distributing free pollinator seed, and sold thousands of trees in a recent sale.
"We ordered 50 pounds of pollinator seed. Ashley's done a really good job of getting this program off the ground," the District Manager for the Washington County Soil and Water Conservation District said at the meeting.
District staff said the county-run initiative encourages residents and municipal land managers to reduce mowing and create habitat for pollinators. Seed pickup is scheduled at the USDA service center in Greenwich on May 31; staff reported 50 pounds were ordered and that about 12 pounds remained available for distribution at the time of the meeting. The district also said its recent tree sale generated more than 100 orders and included roughly 7,500 bare-root seedlings and that leftover blueberry plants would be distributed to a Salem youth garden project.
Beyond outreach and giveaways, the district described outreach on rain gardens and stormwater infiltration near lakes and waterways to help groundwater recharge. Staff told supervisors the district has begun using QR codes and other digital tools to share planting and reporting guidance. The district urged municipalities and small local groups (for example, garden clubs or parks organizations) to consider partnering on projects that could be funded with a $6,000 state Part B grant; applications to the state are due Nov. 1 and projects have a one-year implementation window.
Committee members asked technical questions about seeding rates and maintenance; staff advised that a pound of seed typically covers roughly one-third of an acre for broadcast seeding, that sites often need two or more seasons to reach full floral cover, and that leaving dead stems through winter helps pollinators overwinter. Staff said they can parcel seed to match the requested planting area and plan to circulate small hand seeders for public use.
The district emphasized it is housed in the USDA service center in Greenwich and that it receives a county appropriation similar to Cooperative Extension. The district asked committee members to suggest municipal properties that would host demonstration pollinator plantings and thanked the county for continued support.
The update was informational; no formal county action or funding award was taken at the committee meeting.
For details on pickup and partnership opportunities, staff said information is available through the county website link to outside agencies and directly from the USDA service center in Greenwich.
