1 of 34

Moving at the Speed of Trust to Achieve Collective Outcomes

September 5, 2024

2 of 34

Today’s Speakers:

Cindy - Cindy Talbott Roché, farm girl with a PhD, lived with her family on a farm near Chewelah (in northeastern Washington) starting in the mid-1960s when the town was reeling from the closure of the Magnesite Plant. She went on to earn degrees from Washington State University (BS in Forestry and Range Management and MS in Rangeland Ecology), then a PhD from University of Idaho in Plant Science. Her work experience includes the Colville National Forest, Washington State University Cooperative Extension, scientific illustrator for grasses in the Flora of North America, editor of the journal of the Native Plant Society of Oregon, and senior author of The Field Guide to Grasses of Oregon and Washington, published by OSU Press. Her life-long interests are botany and native plants, especially grasses and sedges, for which she has taught identification workshops. In recent decades her interests are focusing on restoration of arid and wetland habitats with native plants, and now she has an opportunity to apply it to her share of the Talbott family farm.

Adam Cares - Adam Cares is a Natural Resource Manager for Stevens County, based in Colville. He has coordinated stakeholder-led efforts to restore floodplains, wetlands, and riparian habitat along the Colville River since 2016, with a focus on agricultural lands in the floodplain. Adam coordinates Stevens County’s FbD and FCAAP grant efforts, which are initial steps toward integrated floodplain management in Stevens County.

3 of 34

Agenda:

12:00 - 12:05 - Welcome and Context
12:05 - 12:30 - Cindy Roché
12:30- 12:45 - Adam Cares
12:45-12:55 - Discussion
12:55-1:00 - Closing

4 of 34

the story behind a land swap for floodplains

the human story

my life
my connection to the land

the land’s story

geology and soils
hydrology and plant ecology

5 of 34

6 of 34

In October 1965 we moved to a 400-acre farm near Chewelah, Washington

7 of 34

8 of 34

9 of 34

10 of 34

11 of 34

Part 2 the land

12 of 34

13 of 34

14 of 34

15 of 34

16 of 34

17 of 34

18 of 34

19 of 34

20 of 34

My brother and I met with Adam at the Colville River floodplain near Chewelah last August. My brother wasn’t keen on losing any farmable acres on his land and his land would be affected more than mine. During the winter I realized that the LLC on our family farm was expiring at the beginning of 2025. So it occurred to me that since my brother and I had different objectives for the land, perhaps this was a good time to divide up the property. I offered him all of my “good farmland” of the 150 acres, reserving a strip of “riverfront” property on the south end. In exchange and as my ⅜ share of the LLC I requested the south end of his land along the Colville River and the 160 acres of the family farm, part of which floods every year. He agreed and we worked out details of easements and boundaries and now we can each pursue our dreams.

21 of 34

22 of 34

23 of 34

24 of 34

a moment of gratitude

to my parents who worked so hard to acquire the land

to my first husband who purchased the acreage near Chewelah

to my older brother who trusts me with the 160 acres within his farm

to my current husband who supports my passion to restore wetlands

to the Stevens County Conservation District for cost-share

to Adam, who is handling all the bureaucracy, permitting and much more

25 of 34

on the subject of trust:

Absentee landowners can be particularly difficult to recruit for projects. While I tried to attend via zoom some of their meetings, it didn’t work.

The first time I met Adam in person, I knew for sure that he was the person who could help me achieve my goals for wetland restoration. We shared the same vision for the land.

Every family is different, but when family farms become LLCs, there may often be the opportunity to find partners who have life experiences off the farm that give them a different perspective.

26 of 34

Nurturing trust in floodplain planning on the Colville River

Presented by Adam Cares

Challenges

Failures

Recent progress

27 of 34

28 of 34

c. 1946

29 of 34

Causes of the breakdown in trust

Stevens County Agricultural Products 1982 - 2022
Acres of Wheat	-60%
Acres of Barley	-78%
Acres of Hay	-28%
Beef Cattle	-34%
Dairy Cows	-89%
Source: USDA NASS

Mistrust in government and environmental programs has shaped interactions with the agricultural community over the past 30 years.

Divisive conflicts re. timber harvest, property rights, livestock grazing, vs. endangered species, sustainable growth, water quality

Major policy shifts - GMA, SMA, Critical Areas Protections coincided with local downturn in agricultural economy.

The “blame game”

George HW Bush in Coville in 1992, promising “no more studies” related to impacts of timber harvest to the Spotted Owl

Over 40% of the land in Stevens County is owned by the state or federal government, while it is both culturally and geographically distant Olympia and Washington DC. Meanwhile, the average resident of Stevens County is older, poorer, and sicker than the state and national averages. In Chewelah, the median income has historically been about half the state average. Even less on the Spokane Reservation. After 70 years of government sanctioned he 1980’s, 90’s, and 2000’s marked a dramatic shift in policy toward land use and natural resources - for the better. Note: Stevens County didn’t have a critical areas ordinance until 2003, or zoning until 2007. But farmers who remembered being sponsored by the government to dredge the river, drain wetlands, remove riparian trees, etc. were now told that the landscape and the system that the government had helped them create could no longer be maintained…it farmers got all the blame

30 of 34

Early struggles with VSP…then slow progress

“If I trust the system, I don’t have to trust the individuals as much. However, over-reliance on the system might actually preclude other forms of trust from developing,”

31 of 34

A few things that are working for us

Consistency

Long term outlook

Define a vision & guiding principles but allow flexibility in achieving it.

Leverage leaders in the community

Acknowledge mistakes

Ask for help & mentorship

Share universal human experiences as often as you can

“He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another, than he whom you yourself have obliged.”

- Benjamin Franklin

32 of 34

Where we’re headed

“Rational trust is based on perceptions of consistent performance, predictability, and competence.” - Marc Stern

Significant project scale increase

Added capacity with new Natural Resource Planner

New tribal & non-profit project partners

Potential to expand to adjacent properties.

33 of 34

Upcoming Events

34 of 34

Upcoming Lunch and Learns

October: Creative ways Communities are Utilizing Ecology’s Flood Control Assistance Account Program to Fund Integrated Planning

(Sneak Peak: New funding round opening ~November 4, 2024)

November: TBD

December: Channel Migration Zones