Washington State Conservation Commissioner Lynn Bahrych of Shaw Island has received a “Legacy of Conservation Award” from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Bahrych received the special award medal and certificate during the Washington Association of Conservation Districts’ annual meeting in Cle Elum for “Creating a Conservation Legacy through sustained, on-going efforts to protect and enhance natural resources on Washington’s working lands.”

“Ms. Bahrych was recognized for her individual efforts in helping people help the land here in Washington,” NRCS State Conservationist Roylene Rides at the Door said. “Ms. Bahrych has worked on behalf of conservation – behind the scenes – for years. This award represents a lifetime of conservation achievements which continue to benefit all of the citizens of Washington for generations to come.”

Bahrych was appointed to the State Conservation Commission by Gov. Gary Locke in January 2004 and served as chairwoman from 2009–10. Bahrych is co-chairwoman of Farming and the Environment, a non-profit organization promoting sustainable stewardship on agricultural lands.

This year, NRCS is celebrating 75 years helping people help the land. Since 1935, the NRCS conservation delivery system has advanced a unique partnership with state and local governments and private landowners delivering conservation based on specific, local conservation needs, while accommodating state and national interests.

“The ‘Legacy of Conservation Award’ presented to Ms. Bahrych is emblematic of our nation’s enduring conservation legacy,” Rides at the Door said. “This legacy is made possible through the dedication and commitment of conservation professionals like Ms. Bahrych.”