Dates and Locations Set for Local Working Group Meetings Happening Across Washington

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service in Washington (NRCS-WA) has set the date, time, and location for local working group meetings happening across Washington.

The NRCS is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture that assists farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners help their land through completely voluntary, non-regulatory, incentive and science-based programs.

Local Working Groups (LWG) are NRCS's way of listening to people interested in agriculture and natural resources so they can best serve local communities across Washington. Local Working Groups are typically composed of agricultural producers, Tribes, owners/operators of nonindustrial private forest land, professionals representing agricultural and natural resource interests, and individuals representing a variety of disciplines in the soil, water, wetland, plant, forestry, and wildlife sciences who are interested in agricultural and natural resource issues in their communities.

Local Working Group participation is also open to the public.

Big Bend Local Working Group

Date & Time:July 22, 2026, from 9 a.m. to noon.
Location: Columbia Basin Conservation District (conference room), 903 W 3rd Ave., Moses Lake WA 98837
Area: Columbia Basin CD, & Kittitas.
Chair: Mark Moore
District Conservationist: Holly Taylor, [email protected], (509) 925-8585 Ext. 115

North Central Local Working Group

Date & Time: April 16, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Location: Lake Chelan School District Office, 309 E Johnson Ave, Chelan, WA 98816
Area: Okanogan, Foster Creek, South Douglas, & Cascadia.
Chair: Carolyn Kelly
District Conservationist:Scott Scroggie, [email protected], (509) 415-3702

Northeast Local Working Group

Date & Time: April 10, 2026, from 12:30 to 4 p.m.
Location: Forest Service / NRCS Colville Service Center Office; 765 S Main St, Colville, WA 99114
Area: Stevens, Pend Oreille, & Ferry.
Chair: Andy Kroiss
District Conservationist: Derek Marin, [email protected], (509) 910-2642

Northwest Local Working Group

Date & Time: June 1, 2026, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and Aug. 3 from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Location: 6975 Hannegan Road, Lynden, WA 98264 or virtually. (Contact Sarah Tanuvasa for directions on how to connect virtually.)
Area: Snohomish, Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan Islands, Whidbey Island, Clallam, & Jefferson.
Chair: Brandy Reed
District Conservationist: Sarah Tanuvasa, [email protected], (360) 488-4819

Palouse Local Working Group

Date & Time: April 3, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Location: Pullman Plant Materials Center, 4900 SE, Terre View Dr Bldg. 195A, Pullman, WA 99163
Area: Whitman, Pine Creek, Palouse, Spokane County, & Rock Lake.
Chair: Larry Cochran
District Conservationist: Rich Edlund, [email protected], (509) 381-6727

Puget Sound Working Group

Date & Time: April 29, 2026, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Location: Virtual Meeting Only (Contact Lynn Kuat for directions on how to connect virtually.)
Area:Thurston, Kitsap, Mason, Pierce, & King.
Chair: Sarah Moorehead
District Conservationist: Lynn Khuat; [email protected], (253) 256-6741

Snake River Local Working Group

Date & Time: May 28, 2026, from 9 a.m. to noon
Location: Dayton Best Western Inn meeting room; 507 East Main Street, Dayton, WA 99328
Area: Asotin County, Columbia, Franklin, Pomeroy, & Walla Walla.
Chair: Lance Frederick
District Conservationist: Tracy Hanger, [email protected], (509) 956-3752

Southwest Local Working Group

Date & Time: May 27, 2026, from 10 a.m. to noon.
Location: Cowlitz Historical Museum, 405 Allen Street, Kelso, WA 98626
Area: Clark, Underwood (Skamania), Lewis County, Cowlitz, Wahkiakum, Grays Harbor, & Pacific County.
Chair: Joe Shulke
District Conservationist: Jared Hamman (Acting), [email protected], (360) 488-4821

West Palouse Working Group

Date & Time: June 3, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Adams County Public Works Building, 210 W Alder Ave, Ritzville WA 99169
Area: Lincoln & Adams.
Chair: Jeff Schibel
District Conservationist: Carolyn Edenbo, [email protected], (509) 659-1761

More Information

To learn more about NRCS programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center. Producers can also apply for NRCS programs, manage conservation plans and contracts, and view and print conservation maps by logging into their farmers.gov account. If you don't have an account, sign up today.

For 90 years, NRCS has helped farmers, ranchers and forestland owners make investments in their operations and local communities to improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and wildlife habitat. NRCS uses the latest science and technology to help keep working lands working, boost agricultural economies, and increase the competitiveness of American agriculture. NRCS provides one-on-one, personalized advice and financial assistance and works with producers to help them reach their goals through voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs. For more information, visit nrcs.usda.gov.