Executive/Council Action Form (ECAF)
ITEM TITLE:
Title
CONSERVATION FUTURES FUNDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN SNOHOMISH COUNTY AND WASHINGTON FARMLAND TRUST CONCERNING THE ACQUISITION OF AN AGRICULTURAL CONSERVATION EASMEENT
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DEPARTMENT: CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES
ORIGINATOR: PEJ MORGAN
EXECUTIVE RECOMMENDATION: Approved
PURPOSE: Snohomish County manages a Conservation Futures funding program pursuant to RCW 84.34.200 et seq. and Chapter 4.14 Snohomish County Code. Reiner Farm LLC is the owner of real property located in unincorporated Snohomish County, legally described on Exhibit A to this Agreement (the "Property"). The Property is currently used for agricultural purposes only. Washington Farmland Trust (WFT) intends to purchase an agricultural conservation easement over the Property (the "Easement").
BACKGROUND: Cities and towns located in Snohomish County, nonprofit historic preservation corporations and nonprofit nature conservancy corporations or associations as such are described in RCW 84.34.210 are eligible to apply to Snohomish County for resources to fund acquisition of interests or rights in real property located within Snohomish County that meet the conservation criteria described in RCW 84.34.210 et seq. The Snohomish County Conservation Futures Program Advisory Board, at their June 25, 2018, meeting, reviewed all of the project sponsor requests and, after review, recommended funding the request of WFT in the amount of Four Hundred Twenty Four Thousand Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($424,250.00) from the Snohomish County Conservation Futures Property Tax Fund. These monies will be used to fund the agricultural conservation easement; no separate easement rights will be granted to County. WFT applied for resources from the Snohomish County Conservation Futures Property Tax Fund and the Washington State Department of Ecology ("ECY") to fund the purchase of the Easement to be held by WFT. Under the terms of the Easement, ECY will be a thi...
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