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COMMISSIONERS COMBINE CONGRESSIONAL MEETINGS WITH NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES MEETING IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

SKAGIT COUNTY - Skagit County Commissioners Ted Anderson, Ken Dahlstedt and Don Munks traveled to Washington DC early this month to attend the National Association of Counties (NACO) meeting and to meet with Skagit County's Congressional delegation on issues effecting Skagit County.

Anderson, a member of NACO's Public Lands Steering Committee, testified to preserve existing levels of Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding from the USDA for Skagit County. "This funding really impacts Skagit County," said Anderson.

PILT funding is utilized locally for joint road maintenance projects with the U.S. Forest Service and for Skagit County Search and Rescue. Anderson said that there has been a steady increase of PILT funding coming to counties in the past several years, but this year's President's budget calls for a significant decrease. In addition to his testimony to NACO, Anderson met with the staffs of U.S. Representatives Jennifer Dunn, Doc Hastings and George Nethercutt. He also met with the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, Jim Moseley, and USDA Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment, Mark Rey.

"I feel comfortable that the money is going to be put back in the budget, which is good news for Skagit County," said Anderson.

Anderson also spoke with Moseley about amending the Farm Bill to keep Skagit County farmers eligible for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) if default buffers go into effect with the Critical Areas Ordinance under the Washington Growth Management Act.

Commissioner Ken Dahlstedt serves on the NACO Agriculture and Rural Affairs Steering Committee and reported that food safety is an area of vital concern. Dahlstedt initiated a resolution last year stressing the need for food inspection at the point of origin in foreign countries. "Inspection is vitally important for food safety," said Dahlstedt.

Dahlstedt also met with the 30 Washington Ag Forestry delegates from Washington State who were at the Capital for their annual meeting.

Commissioner Don Munks serves on the NACO National Steering Committee for Environmental Issues, Energy and Land Use. In addition to attending to committee business, Munks joined Dahlstedt in presenting Skagit County's Skagit River Flood Prevention and Salmon Restoration Project to U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, Congressman Rick Larsen, the staff of Congressman Norm Dicks, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the US Corps of Engineers, Ducks Unlimited, and the Department of Energy.

"It seems like we were on the go continually," said Munks. "All three of us worked very hard to get our points across for our Skagit County constituents.

Munks also commented that the main issue in Washington DC in addressing the budget is homeland security. "Counties play an important role in every emergency. We will be called on to play a vital role in this important issue in the future."