Farmland Legacy Program

The Skagit County Farmland Legacy Program is a county initiative that purchases and places perpetual conservation easements on agricultural land. These easements extinguish the land’s residential development rights so that it remains farmland. Simply put, Skagit County’s program keeps farmland safe from non-agricultural development. Its mission is to keep farmers farming.

Conservation easements are bought using local Conservation Futures tax levy funds and may be leveraged with additional federal, state, or nonprofit funds.

If you own agricultural zoned land (Ag-NRL), then yes, you are eligible to apply.

Typically, the most value from protecting your farmland comes from having a development right—the right for a landowner to build a house on the property. Farmland must be at least 40 acres to have a development right or have been lot certified prior to May 5, 2005.

You’ll ensure that your land will only ever be used for farming and that Skagit County stays rural. You’ll help support local food production, preserve open space, keep development out of the floodplain, reduce urban sprawl and conserve prime agricultural soil for future generations.

You receive a cash payout for voluntarily protecting your farmland.

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It’s easy! Fill out the Farmland Legacy application There is no cost to apply.

If you have questions, talk or email with Farmland Legacy Coordinator Sarah Stoner. Sarah is here to guide you through the process, which is unique to your circumstance and farmland.

Applications are available online. Call (360) 416-1417 to request a paper application or arrange a meeting.

After applying, you’ll meet with the Farmland Legacy coordinator to discuss your property. The program coordinator will work with you on an individual basis to address any issues with your application.

Next, your application is reviewed and scored by the Conservation Futures Advisory Board. Site review criteria includes soil quality, parcel size, economic productivity, proximity to urban development and major highways, scenic and ecological considerations, and urgency of conversion risk.

If your property is selected, the value of your development right is determined by an appraisal of the land with the development right(s) intact and without them—and then cuts a check to you as the property owner for the difference.

Every time land is taken out of production, impervious surface and draining issues increase, and farming becomes more challenging. Driving large farm equipment down roads to other locations, for example, becomes difficult with increased traffic from homes and commercial development. Farmers experience these challenges up close.

Farmland Legacy farmers and farmland owners are the program’s best advocates. Farmland owners often return to protect additional farmland through the program.

To-date, the Skagit County Farmland Legacy Program has protected more than 14,000 acres under conservation easement, enrolling more than 150 farmers in the program since its inception.