Submitted by Washington State Conservation Commission
Olympia-area resident James (Jim) Peters has been re-elected to Chair the Washington State Conservation Commission (WSCC). The WSCC is an independent state agency that works with conservation districts to help landowners protect and restore natural resources using incentive-based practices.
Commissioner Peters was appointed to the Commission by Governor Gary Locke in 1998, and Governor Jay Inslee recently extended his appointment through June 2015. Peters is a member of the Squaxin Island Tribe and served on the Tribal Council for more than six years as well as the Inter-Tribal Court Board. He is currently the Habitat Policy Analyst for the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission.
In addition to re-electing Peters as Chair, the Commission elected Clinton O’Keefe to serve as Vice-Chair. Commissioner O’Keefe is a resident of St. John (Whitman County) and was elected to the Commission in 2012 representing Washington’s eastern region.
The WSCC also welcomed two new Commissioner members at their December meeting: Alan Stromberger of Sprague (Lincoln County) and Larry Davis of Custer (Whatcom County). Commissioner Stromberger is President of the Washington Association of Conservation Districts (WACD) and a supervisor for Lincoln County Conservation District. Commissioner Davis is a supervisor for Whatcom Conservation District and is serving his third year on the WACD Board of Directors.
“These commissioners represent the interests of conservation districts, state agencies, the Governor’s Office, and Washington’s landowners,” said Mark Clark, Executive Director of the WSCC. “Their experience and knowledge help us as a small state agency better integrate state- and local-level conservation directives.”
WSCC Commissioners are part of a ten-member board that sets policies for the operation of Washington State’s conservation districts; facilitates resource conservation programs and activities; and coordinates programs across conservation district boundaries. The WSCC also consists of a small staff that carries out the direction of the Commission board and provides direct service to conservation districts.
To learn more about the WSCC and the state’s 45 conservation districts, visit the WSCC website: www.scc.wa.gov.
