Pilot program could be key to saving farmland in Washington
Stopping Tualco Valley farmland from turning into subdivisions will get a boost from a pilot program in which Snohomish County may buy up development rights and promote conservation.
Long has the fertile valley near Monroe been a source of farmland, but the city's rapid growth and its proximity to King County have made it a potential source of new homes.
Farmers in the valley find it hard to ignore development prices, and as family generations change, many sons and daughters no longer want to operate farms. Land-rich farmers say selling to developers can provide a nice inheritance.
But Snohomish County hopes to give valley farmers an option other than selling to developers. If successful, the program will become one of many for preserving sensitive farmland within the county.
Under the Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) program, the county will pay a farmer the difference between the development price for a piece of land and the value of the property if used for agriculture. In return, the county will place a conservation easement on the land, allowing farming to continue and preventing the acreage from being developed.
The county protected 30 acres in the valley last year at a cost of $542,000. Half of the funding came from local sources; the rest was from federal sources.
The county is seeking federal and state money to boost the program. The county, which has applications for preserving about 500 acres of the 3,400 available in the valley, recently accepted a $435,153 grant from the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service.
To meet the match needed, the county has applied for money from the state Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation.
If it's received, the county will have more than $850,000 with which to work.
"PDR offers a quick solve," said County Executive Aaron Reardon. "We're on a fast track with the grants, and we need to maximize our efforts to preserve farmland."
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Pilot program could be key to saving farmland
