Media Contacts
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Claire Cornell
Communications Manager
The Nature Conservancy in Idaho
Phone: 208-350-2206
Email: claire.cornell@tnc.org
The Nature Conservancy and Salmon-Safe, a leading U.S. ecolabeling organization, have partnered in the Silver Creek watershed on the first farm to receive the new Trout-Safe certification. Located adjacent to TNC’s renowned Silver Creek Preserve, the farm met Salmon-Safe’s high standards for Trout-Safe certification that verifies actions that protect streams and provide benefits for fish. The designation comes after TNC began working with the farm lessee to implement regenerative agriculture practices that will enhance soil health, biodiversity and water quality in the Silver Creek watershed.
TNC owns approximately 100 acres of farmland surrounding Silver Creek Preserve that are leased to local farmers. As part of its Healthy Soil, Resilient Waters program, this year TNC began working with one of the lessees to implement regenerative farming practices such as cover crops and crop diversification. These practices improve on-farm soil health which then has downstream benefits for fish and wildlife: cover crops help soils absorb and retain water, which benefits the whole watershed; and crop diversification enhances habitat and biodiversity in the ecosystem.
Quote: Neil Crescenti
Together, TNC and Trout-Safe are demonstrating how regenerative agriculture has far-reaching ecological impacts that even benefit fish.
“TNC is inspiring the regenerative agriculture movement by promoting sustainable, regenerative practices in Idaho. Now they take a powerful next step by becoming the first Trout-Safe farm in Idaho,” said Dan Kent, Salmon-Safe Co-Founder and Executive Director. “Joining with TNC means that we are working with a national conservation leader in working lands. We encourage farms and ranches across the state to follow TNC’s lead in adopting Trout-Safe practices to help conserve native fish in Idaho watersheds.”
To receive the Trout-Safe designation, the Salmon-Safe organization independently assessed and verified the Silver Creek farm for agriculture practices that protect water quality and habitat. TNC’s farm is the first to receive the organization’s newly launched Trout-Safe ecolabel for environmentally innovative growers in the Inland Northwest.
“Together, TNC and Trout-Safe are demonstrating how regenerative agriculture has far-reaching ecological impacts that even benefit fish,” says Neil Crescenti, TNC agriculture program manager. “This partnership combines TNC’s innovation in regenerative agriculture with Trout-Safe’s high environmental standards in one of Idaho’s most beloved fisheries.”
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in more than 70 countries and territories, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.
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