PCSEN - Land Use & Conservation

Pierce County

Sustainability Education Network

Balancing commercial growth, recreational space, residential development and agricultural needs requires an integrated approach. Stakeholders concerns as well as long term health, environmental and economic impact must be addressed.

The PCSEN goal is to create purposeful dialog for optimizing choices and decisions.

What can you do to promote sustainable land use?

Start by exploring resources below:

Support County Farmland

Supporting our local farms is an investment in our community, environment, and local economy.

Pierce County has some of the best farm land in the state, providing great produce closer than you might think. With gas prices rising we are going to need to buy more food locally. These resources below can help you get started.

This short video shows an example of local conservation in Pierce County.

Find Your Closest Farm

Find Your Closest Farmers Market

Pierce County TDR Program

Support Community Gardens

PCC Farmland Trust

Pierce Conservation District

Conserve Forestland

Pierce County is an original member of the Cascade Agenda a 100-year plan to conserve farms and forests to keep our rual economy strong. There are over 200,000 acres of private forest land surrounding Mt. Rainier in Pierce County. Keeping our forest land in working forestry is key to keeping our lumber mills open and the important jobs they provide.

Cascade Land Conservancy

Nisqually Land Trust

Great Peninsula Conservancy

Low Impact Development

Managing our stormwater through low-impact development is vital to the health of Puget Sound. Since LID projects are becoming a more common practice for most, there is an abundance of research and design specifications that will help you develop a successful and effective low-impact project.

Here are some helpful resources that will get you started:

Puget Sound Partnership

Pierce County LID Technical Guidance

WA State Department of Ecology

WA Stormwater Center