The American Water Resources Association Washington Section
invites you to
The Growth Management Act’s Voluntary Stewardship Program and Critical Aquifer Recharge Areas
presented by
Laurie Morgan, Washington Department of Ecology
on
Wednesday, November 15, 2017
at
Ivar's Salmon House
Social and Networking - 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Dinner - 6:30 PM to 7:00 PM
Presentation - 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Abstract
In 2007, the Washington State Legislature tasked the William B. Ruckelshaus Center with examining and reporting on conflicts between agricultural activities and Critical Areas Ordinances adopted under the Growth Management Act. Critical Areas include wetlands, aquifer recharge areas, fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas, frequently flooded areas and geologically hazardous areas.
Although all Critical Areas were subject to this legislation, the focus of the legislative direction and Ruckelshaus reporting was principally on surface water and habitat concerns, and not aquifer recharge areas. Nonetheless, Critical Aquifer Recharge Areas ordinances are subject to the legislation.
The Legislature subsequently created the Voluntary Stewardship Program in 2011, to be administered by the Washington Conservation Commission. The mission of the Voluntary Stewardship Program is to create a voluntary stewardship plan which protects critical areas while maintaining and enhancing the viability of agriculture.
Twenty-seven counties opted into the Voluntary Stewardship Program and have received funding to proceed. All Eastern Washington counties, except for Klickitat, have opted into the Voluntary Stewardship Program. Western Washington counties that have opted in include San Juan, Skagit, Mason, Thurston, Lewis, Grays Harbor, Pacific, and Cowlitz.
This talk will be a report out on the current status of Voluntary Stewardship Programs as they relate to Critical Aquifer Recharge Areas.
About the speaker
Laurie Morgan is a registered hydrogeologist in the State of Washington, where she has worked for the Dept. of Ecology since 1991. She has a B.S. degree in Geological Sciences, with an emphasis on Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology, from California State University Fullerton. Laurie began her career in hazardous waste enforcement for the California Dept. of Health, then was an Engineering Geologist for the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, in the Los Angeles Region working on the San Fernando Valley superfund area. Currently, she is a staff hydrogeologist with the Ecology Water Quality Program and works on groundwater issues, including technical support for Critical Aquifer Recharge Areas. Laurie is the author of the current Critical Aquifer Recharge Area Guidance and is the lead for the Washington Nitrate Prioritization Project.
Fees
$30 for current members
$40 for guests
Free for students (Reserved for student members enrolled full-time, as outlined on the AWRA-WA website, waawra.org)
If you are planning to pay in person at the event, please note that we can only accept payment then in the form of cash or a check. If you want to pay using PayPal or a credit card, please do so online before the event.
Registration as a guest is available if you are not a member of AWRA-WA.
Cancellation Policy: AWRA-WA will fully refund the registration fee if cancellation notice is received at least 5 days before the event.
