Welcome to Skagit County

April 26th, 2011

Public invited to attend Conservation Futures Advisory Committee Strategic Planning work session, May 12, 2011

SKAGIT COUNTY - On May 12, 2011 at 6:00 p.m., the Conservation Futures Advisory Committee (CFAC) will hold a work session on strategic planning for the Farmland Legacy Program (FLP) in the Skagit County Commissioners Hearing Room located at 1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon. The CFAC is reviewing what processes have worked successfully for the FLP, which ones may hinder the program, and what new approaches should be considered. The purpose of this work session is to solicit feedback from the community and gain any information that may help in this process.

Established in 1997, the FLP has been successful in purchasing development rights on farmland in Ag-NRL designations. Throughout its 14 years, the program has undergone strategic planning to ensure that it is functioning as efficiently as possible to obtain its goal of protecting farmland in Skagit County. Now, with 8,000 acres protected, the current economy, and new partnerships and funding sources, the CFAC is engaging itself and others in updating the FLP Strategic Plan.

The protection of farmland offers long-term certainty for farmers, environmental attributes, and economic stimulus. A draft paper will be available online at the FLP webpage at www.skagitcounty.net/farmland.

For more information, please contact Kendra Smith, Farmland Legacy Program Executive Director, at (360) 419-3303.