Rural Pierce County residents wanted for disaster preparedness, public health dialogue

Those selected will help guide policy on local natural disaster preparations and public health

By Alex Bruell • May 3, 2021 1:18 pm
This photo shared by the Pierce Conservation District in 2020 shows a new side channel shortly after it was fully connected with the mainstem of South Prairie Creek. The new channel connected the mainstem to the adjacent floodplain, which helps with flood storage, maintaining flow during summer months, and keeping water temperatures cool.
This photo shared by the Pierce Conservation District in 2020 shows a new side channel shortly after it was fully connected with the mainstem of South Prairie Creek. The new channel connected the mainstem to the adjacent floodplain, which helps with flood storage, maintaining flow during summer months, and keeping water temperatures cool.

The Pierce Conservation District (PCD) is looking for rural Pierce County residents to share their concerns and priorities for public health and natural disaster preparedness.

Interested residents can apply to participate in a week of virtual “Citizens Jury” style dialogues, where a randomly-selected group of people will learn from experts and one another about the community’s health, quality of life and disaster preparedness, then create a plan to tackle those issues together.

The actual event will take place daily between Wednesday, June 9 and Sunday, June 13th, from 1 to 5:30 p.m. each day. Those selected will receive a $450 stipend for participation throughout the week.

“Now more than ever, rural residents are feeling the impacts of extreme weather to their everyday lives,” PCD program manager Nicholas Cusick said in a prepared statement. “This event invites folks to have a seat at the table … on everyday issues like quality of life, disaster preparedness, and public health.”

Each Washington county has at least one conservation district. They are public bodies run by locals, and they typically work on habitat restoration, soil and water management, natural disaster preparedness and environmental education.

These districts don’t enforce rules or impose penalties, but are instead charged with researching, improving, and educating the public about the health of their local natural resources. Their responsibilities are laid out in Chapter 89.08.220 of the Revised Code of Washington.

Participants for the Pierce Conservation District dialogues will be recruited mainly from from the rural areas of eastern and southern Pierce County. To see if you are eligible and to apply, visit: https://bit.ly/PCRuralClimateDialogues