Washington House Democrats

Farmland preservation bill could relieve development pressure

Agricultural areas disappearing at an alarming rate in Washington state

February 27, 2007

A farmland preservation bill designed to protect Washington state’s agricultural areas which are quickly disappearing because of burgeoning housing and commercial development was approved by the House Agriculture Committee yesterday afternoon (Feb. 27).

State Rep. Kelli Linville, D-Bellingham, sponsored House Bill 1627 because population growth in Washington at the rate of more than 1 million people every decade is creating intense competition for land use between farming interests and developers. Much of that population growth is occurring in Western Washington such as Linville’s 42nd District in Whatcom County.

“I want to see our farms and farmers stay viable,” said Linville. “We need to find ways to keep our agricultural heritage while more people, more homes and more businesses move into farming areas.”

HB 1627 would create an Office of Farmland Preservation to be located within the Washington State Conservation Commission.

The Farmland Preservation Office would analyze the factors contributing to the shrinking farmland in Washington state and work with the conservation commission in developing grants for local programs designed to keep farms in agricultural production and encourage the transition of family farms and related business from one generation to the next.

Linville’s bill would also create a Farmland Preservation Task Force to advise the Preservation Office and make recommendations on funding levels for the state’s agricultural conservation easements account. Six of the 14 voting members of the task force would be “farmer representatives” appointed by the governor with at least two of them under the age of 45.

# # #

Information:

HB 1627: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1627&year=2007 

Staff: Larry Clark, 360.786.7214, Clark.Larry@leg.wa.gov