Category Overview
Farmland Preservation protects valuable farmland and habitat for recreationally important animals, like salmon, birds, deer, and elk. These projects allow families to continue farming the land they have worked on for generations, and provide Washingtonians with healthy local food and a diverse economy. WWRP is the only source of farmland preservation funding in the state budget.
Project Highlights
With the grant funding from RCO, the Palouse Land Trust acquired an agricultural conservation easement on approximately 509 acres of at-risk farmland in perpetuity. The property is located in Whitman County directly adjacent to the City of Colfax on Highway 195 The farm currently consists of annual cropland that primarily grows, wheat, barley, peas, and lentils, as well as grasslands that serve as livestock grazing for a small cattle operation. A stewardship plan was developed in coordination with the local NRCS office to ensure that the natural resources on the property are well-managed and that the terms of the agricultural conservation easement are upheld in perpetuity.