CD plans move to lumber yard

Whitman Conservation District board members April 10 approved to move to a new location at the former JJ Building Supply.

The conservation district is leasing office space at the south end of the store building at $500 per month until the end of the year.

They are leasing the space from John Pearson who is now offering lumber and other building supply materials at the location.

According to the lease, the district will rent on a month-to-month basis after Dec. 31.

Pearson will supply the wi-fi service, and the district is responsible for other services it needs.

The district was informed it had to move its office space from the Natural Resource Conservation Service offices on Fairview because of a new NRCS policy.

The district could not afford the $25,000 annual rent required by the NRCS.

Conservation district members researched several locations in Colfax including sharing an office space with the WSU Extension in the county Public Service Building and space in the former movie theater building across Mill Street from the Methodist Church.

The new lease began Tuesday.

“When it rains, we’ll start moving in,” board Chairman David Lange said.

The board also approved of advertising surplus equipment for bids. The items include an oil seed crusher on a trailer, two ATVs and a 30-foot refrigerator trailer.

Bids will be accepted until May 8 at 4 p.m. Minimum bids will be posted on the district web site along with photos of the equipment and specific descriptions.

Board members approved of donating a district weather station, which has been in storage, to either Colfax or LaCrosse schools.

District coordinator Nancy Hoobler said she is organizing groups of Jennings Elementary School students to plant shrubs on the Cocking property on a hill above Colfax where shrubs were planted last year. Most of the shrubs planted last year have died, she reported.

Hoobler also said she is organizing LaCrosse school students to plant lilac bushes at the Joe and Dionne Evans’ place near Hooper.

The plantings will be some time on May 7-9, she said.

Board members also approved a public disclosure request form and policy. Members said that the policy was brought to their attention when the state Department of Ecology would not release public documents without a formal request. Since the district didn’t have a policy of its own, members wanted to adopt a district policy.

At its March meeting, board members approved increasing Hoobler’s work week from three to four days per week and raising her salary from $19.23 hour to $20 per hour.