Introducing the Sustainable Lands Strategy “IT”

The Sustainable Lands Strategy (SLS) has been successful at bringing together partners in Snohomish County that represent salmon recovery, agricultural, and flooding interests to develop a platform and plan for floodplain management. Since 2010, however, it has been a challenge to execute on-the-ground project development and implementation that would further the goals of this forum.

SLS and partners recognize the need to bring together ground-level project managers and planners from farm, fish, flood, and tribal interests to discuss the suite of project opportunities available, and to develop projects and packages with a multi-benefit lens. Thus, the ITs were developed.

What does IT stand for?

The ‘I’ in IT stands for the overlap between Integrating the interests of farm, fish, flood, and tribal needs and Implementing projects that take those needs into consideration. The ‘T’ in IT stands for Team because that’s what it takes to get the work done.

What does the IT do?

The function of the ITs is to increase the pace, magnitude and effectiveness of on-the-ground actions that collectively produce results aimed at meeting salmon recovery goals, protecting and enhancing agricultural viability, and reducing new and current flood risk. The IT uses innovative problem-solving to produce win-win results through transparency, coordination, and collaboration.

There are two ITs: one in the Stillaguamish basin and one in the Snohomish basin. So far, both the Snohomish and Stillaguamish ITs have put forth project packages into the 2021-2023 Floodplains by Design grant funding. SLS hopes that the implementation of the ITs also spurs decision makers and funders to understand the vital importance of looking at natural resources management from a landscape-scale perspective rather than bucketed by funding topic (i.e. salmon or agriculture dollars).

Project sequencing and packages developed are vetted by the Steering Committee and become part of the ongoing work of the Snohomish and Stillaguamish River reach scale plans.

Primary activities of the IT

•         Coordinate plans and activities between local interests

•         Develop project packages that meet salmon recovery goals, support agricultural viability, and reduce flood risk

•         Identify communication needs with community

•         Oversee disappearing task group (DTG) activities, if needed

•         Develop funding strategies and plans

•         Monitor progress

How can I get involved in the IT?

If you are a technical staff member with an organization that participates in the SLS process, let us know how you would like to be involved by emailing us at info@farmfishflood.org.