Farmland Preservation in Thurston County

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Farmland Preservation in Thurston County

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... agriculture district and the Nisqually agriculture district to 'maintain rural ... Nisqually River Basin Land Trust has preserved over 650 acres of land ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Farmland Preservation in Thurston County


1
Farmland Preservationin Thurston County
  • Angela Olinghouse
  • Ecological Agriculture
  • Fall 2003

2
Where will we have farms in the future?
  • In the next 20 years Thurston Countys population
    is expected to increase by 100,000 people
  • Current population 214,800 people
  • Projected demand for rural County land between
    2000-2015 is 35,643 acres

3
The Farm housing development was a farm once
4
(No Transcript)
5
Loss of Farmland in Thurston County
  • Between 1985-2000 Thurston County lost 9,200
    acres of farmland
  • 56,300 acres in Thurston County are used for
    agriculture
  • 16 of Thurston Countys land is used for
    agriculture

6
1700 acre Alpacas of America in Tenino 800
houses?
www.alpaca1.com
7
Growth Management Act
  • Washington adopted a Growth Management Act in
    1990
  • Between 1992-1997 the state lost 45,800 acres of
    prime farmland

8
Government Farmland Protection Programs
  • Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easements
  • Agricultural Protection Zoning
  • Differential Assessment Laws
  • Right-to-Farm Laws
  • Transfer of Development Rights

9
Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easements
  • When conservation easements are sold to a
    government agency or private conservation group,
    the potential to develop is removed
  • First one in the U.S. Was in New York in 1974
  • The first in Washington was in King County in
    1979. It protected more than 12,000 acres for
    50 million
  • Local and state programs have purchased
    development rights for 1.06 million acres

10
  • Thurston County bought its first easement in 1998
    and has purchased 19 easements that cover 940
    acres in the Nisqually Valley at a cost of 2.3
    million
  • The program is expensive so if often cant be
    used to take development pressure away from an
    area

11
Agricultural Protection Zoning
  • Discourages non-agricultural activity
  • In 1995 Thurston County lowered the zoning
    density from one dwelling per 5 acres to one
    dwelling per 20 or 40 acres on 25 of County
    farmland
  • Not permanent

12
Planned Rural Residential Developments
  • Alternative subdivisions allowed in Thurston
    Countys long-term agriculture district and the
    Nisqually agriculture district to maintain rural
    character
  • Clustered houses on part of the property, while
    60-90 can be used for agriculture
  • Encourages sprawl

13
Differential Assessment
  • Open Space Tax Act of 1970
  • Properties are taxed based on their current use,
    not potential for residential or commercial
    development
  • One purpose is to be an incentive to keep farms
    in productive use
  • Thurston County has 38,078 acres enrolled in the
    program
  • Property tax reductions range from 50-90

14
Right to Farm Laws
  • Protects farmers from getting sued by neighbors
  • Has protected Ostroms mushroom farm in Lacey

15
Transfer of Development Rights
  • Transfers the right to develop one parcel of land
    to another parcel
  • Shifts development of agricultural lands to urban
    areas
  • Has mostly been used in the Northeast
  • Montgomery County, Maryland has protected over
    40,000 acres
  • Thurston Countys program has not protected any
    land yet

16
Thurston County Transfer of Development Rights
Program
  • Began in 1995
  • Sending area- 11,500 acres in the long-term
    agricultural zone
  • Receiving area-20,000 acres of land in Olympia,
    Lacey and Tumwater
  • Landowners can sell one development right per 5
    acres
  • Two landowners have created development rights
    but no one has bought them yet

17
Land Trusts
  • The United States first land trust in Marin
    County, CA and has protected 33,000 acres
  • There are 1,200 non-profit land trusts in the
    United States
  • Nearly 6.5 million acres have been protected by
    land trusts

18
Thurston County Land Trusts
  • Nisqually River Basin Land Trust has preserved
    over 650 acres of land
  • Capitol Land Trust has preserved over 900 acres
    of land but has not protected commercial farms
  • South of the Sound Community Farm Trust has not
    preserved any land

19
Conclusion
  • Thurston County has money for farmland
    preservation in a conservation futures levy but
    they are not actively seeking land to protect. An
    active farmland trust should work with the County
    to use some of that money to actually protect
    farmland for the future.
  • There is more pressure to develop than to
    preserve, more public education and support of
    preservation is needed

20
Farm For Sale! (or future housing development?)
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