Smart Growth in Pierce County
New legislation reflects primary goals of The Cascade Agenda
The Pierce County Council today approved one of the most far-reaching Purchase and Transfer of Development Rights ordinances in the country, setting the stage for Pierce County to become a regional leader in the effort to conserve farmland, working forests and natural areas through market-based tools.
The Council voted 7-to-0 in favor of the ordinance that authorizes the use of Transfer of Development Rights, or TDRs. The ordinance will help to accommodate growth in Pierce County while preserving the county’s quality of life and supporting its rich tradition in farming and forestry.
“This is a true milestone in forward-thinking land planning and management,” said Ryan Mello, Pierce County Conservation Director for the Cascade Land Conservancy.
Many far-thinking leaders in Pierce County supported the ordinance. Shawn Bunney, Terry Lee and Calvin Goings co-sponsored the ordinance, reflecting the broad support for the program. County Executive John Ladenburg and his staff led the development of the program.
It is a testament to the ordinance’s wide application that these leaders, who represent a broad array of viewpoints, came together on this program. The support for this legislation shows the power of The Cascade Agenda, the CLC’s visionary 100-year program, to achieve the twin goals of significant landscape conservation and the creation of strong, livable communities.
The Conservancy was a leader in the effort to enact the legislation, reflecting more than two years of conversations with people throughout the county - farmers, developers, city planners, citizens and land owners. CLC worked with County leaders in the drafting of the initial ordinance based upon broad input for farmers, foresters, developers, planning officials, and thorough study or national TDR programs, incorporating the best of those plans.
Leaders of The Cascade Agenda have pioneered the effort to build regional TDR programs, seeing them as one of the most promising tools to achieve the landscape scale conservation necessary to maintain the region’s quality of life. The Pierce County ordinance is one of the most sophisticated and far reaching, setting the stage for its application in other jurisdictions.
“This is landmark legislation,” said Gene Duvernoy, President, Cascade Land Conservancy. “Piece County leaders should be congratulated for this accomplishment today. It marks a milestone in achieving the goals of The Cascade Agenda.”
The ordinance was driven by a sense of urgency. Each year, Pierce County loses almost 900 acres of farmland through conversion to other uses – about one Point Defiance Park lost every year.
A Transfer of Development Rights program will begin the process to reverse the trend, helping to conserve the 26,000 acres of farmland that still exist. Agricultural land supports a key part of the county’s economy -- agriculture is a $110 million industry that employs nearly 2,000 people in Pierce County.
Forests, too, are a valuable part of the county’s heritage. While the industry is smaller than it has been in the past, it is still a fundamental part of Pierce County’s identity and economy. A prime example is Simpson Timber’s lumber mill in Tacoma, which provides an important source of manufacturing jobs.
The ordinance had wide support from the Sierra Club, Charles Bingham, former Weyerhaeuser executive, Doug Sutherland, Commissioner of Public Lands and Ken Miller, past president of the Washington Farm Forestry Association.
This article is republished courtesy of Earth Share organization Cascade Land Conservancy
