02/20/08 Plenty of interest in Heritage Barn Program

Washington Ag February 20, 2008 "We have struck a nerve." That is how Jerri Honeyford, the chair of the Barn Advisory Committee, recently described for state lawmakers the response to the Washington Heritage Barn Registry the legislature created last year. Structures over 50 years old can be registered and Honeyford was amazed by the turnout last November for the first meeting where certificates were issued. Honeyford: "We handed out 159 certificates. I couldn't believe there were 70 some people there. Seventy some barn owners, from the islands, from Whitman County, from Walla Walla, from Spokane, all over the state came just to get their certificate." Honeyford says in applying for the register owners had to delve into the history of their barns and also assess what the structures really needed to be preserved. The advisory committee is meeting next month to determine who gets to share in 459-thousand dollars in matching state grant money for preservation. Honeyford: "We will just do our best to get good examples of different kinds of barns in all the areas of the state and help preserve as many as we can." The next round of Heritage Barn nominations are due April 30th. Learn more through the Washington Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation. I'm Bob Hoff.