Since 1996, the Skagit County Farmland Legacy Program has sourced $23 million in compensation to farmer-landowners for the permanent protection of 13,870 acres of agricultural land. The $34 million spent over the past 25 years includes $13.5 million in Skagit County Conservation Futures Tax and $9.5 million in local and federal grants and nonprofit contributions.

The program’s primary goals are to protect the county’s agricultural character and productivity. Protected acreage through 2021 represents 16% of the roughly 89,000 acres designated Agriculture-Natural Resource land in Skagit County.

The Farmland Legacy Program is a county-funded initiative that compensates landowners for unused residential development rights and that places perpetual conservation easements on agricultural lands. Landowners retain ownership and continue to farm, while the easement restricts future uses to agriculture.

In 2021, 772 acres of farmland were enrolled and 173 more acres were placed under the Agricultural Land Preservation code, an option that separates homesites from existing farmland.

Conservation easements were purchased for 210 acres of farmland on Fir Island, 286 acres of farmland at the I-5 Cook Road interchange, 170 acres of farmland in La Conner and 103 acres of farmland in Conway

Total properties closed in 2021 to-date: $1,465,000 in Conservation Futures tax-funded easement acquisitions.

The County has budgeted $1.8 million in conservation futures tax funds for the purchase of easements to protect additional agricultural land in 2022.

Information: 360-416-1417, skagitcounty.net/farmland.

Read the eight-page quarter-century anniversary report insert in this Weekly News for more information.

–Source: Skagit County gov’t