Volunteer Stewardship Program

Approved Adams County VSP Work Plan

The Adams County VSP Work Plan was approved by the Washington State Conservation Commission in September 2018. View the Adams County VSP Work Plan (Approved) on the documents page. For more information on the Adams VSP see the VSP Overview and Checklist.

About

The Voluntary Stewardship Program (VSP) is a non-regulatory approach for complying with state requirements to protect critical areas (Revised Code of Washington [RCW] 36.70A.030) on agricultural lands. Adams County is one of the 27 counties across the state that opted to participate in the VSP process.

Instead of enacting further critical areas regulations on agricultural lands, the VSP is a new approach approved and funded by the state legislature that can change the nature of current critical areas regulation within Adams County’s agricultural areas by allowing critical areas to be watershed-based, using a collaborative stewardship planning process that relies on incentive-based practices for protecting critical areas, promoting viable agriculture, and encouraging cooperation among diverse stakeholders.

There are five types of critical areas:

1. Wetlands
2. Critical aquifer recharge areas
3. Frequently flooded areas
4. Geologically hazardous areas
5. Fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas

For more specific information on each type of critical area, see the FAQs section.

Goals of the VSP

The VSP includes the following goals (RCW 36.70A.700):

• Promote plans that:
1. Protect and enhance critical areas where agricultural activities are conducted
2. Maintain and improve the long-term viability of agriculture
3. Reduce the conversion of farmland to other uses
• Use voluntary incentive programs to encourage good riparian and ecosystem stewardship as an alternative to historic approaches used to protect critical areas
• Use existing resources and programs (local, county, state, and federal) to maximum extent practicable to achieve program goals
• Encourage and foster a spirit of cooperation and partnership among county, tribal, environmental, and agricultural interests to better assure program success
• Improve compliance with other laws designed to protect water quality and fish habitat
• Rely on voluntary stewardship actions as the primary method of protecting critical areas and not require the cessation of agricultural activities

VSP Work Group

A VSP Work Group, which includes agriculture, environmental, and other stakeholders, has been formed to develop the VSP Work Plan for Adams County. The VSP Work Group will be meeting regularly throughout the next 1 to 2 years to develop a VSP Work Plan for the County. The Work Group will also oversee Work Plan implementation. See RCW 36.70A.720 for a complete list of duties of the Work Group and requirements for the VSP Work Plan.

Adams County is seeking additional volunteers to serve on the VSP Work Group.  If you are interested in being part of the Adams County VSP Work Group please fill out the Work Group Application Form and contact: Andie Lorenz, Adams County Building and Planning Director, andiel@co.adams.wa.us, (509) 488-9441.

See News and Events for the Work Group’s meetings schedule.

Additional VSP Resources