03/02/2006: "ARC Announces Outreach Meetings"

The Agricultural Resources Committee (ARC), established by the Board of County Commissioners in the fall of 2005 to "address new and emerging issues relating to local and regional agriculture," announces a series of outreach meetings on Lopez, San Juan, and Orcas islands.

The objective of the meetings is to listen to the issues, concerns, and ideas of everyone involved in agriculture in the county. A meeting will be held at the SJI Grange on March 4, and at the Eastsound Fire Station on Orcas on March 11. ARC Chair Susan Robins said that the mission defined for the ARC is to protect and restore the agricultural resources of San Juan County.

Some of the first items addressed by the committee include land costs, alternative energy, market outlets for producers, and reviewing ordinances that impact farmers, but "the outreach meetings will tell us what other issues are critical to those involved in agriculture, and thus are vital to our future work."

Meetings have been held bi-monthly to date, but the frequency will change as the growing season approaches. All ARC meetings are open to the public. For information on meeting dates and locations contact smr@pelindaba.com or toddanddianegoldsmith@centurytel.net, or the County Council office.

Voting members of the committee, all volunteers, are, Jim Lawrence, Rebecca Moore, Bruce Gregory, Madden Surbaugh, Rena Patty, Todd Goldsmith (vice chair), Sara Jones, Kathryn Quackenbush, Peter Corning, Jane Burton-Bell, Bill Hamilton (Conservation District), Julie Miller, Ken Akopiantz, and Susan Robins. Non voting members are Eliza Habegger of the Land Bank, Mark Tompkins of the Health and Community Services Department, and Tom Schultz of WSU Extension. Funding for a part-time staff person to be hired shortly will come from the County Council, the Conservation District, and Washington State University