Agriculture Resources
|
LAND PRESERVATION According to the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, almost 200 acres of Washington's resource lands are developed each day. That's an acre every eight minutes. The American Farmland Trust report, Farming on the Edge, shows the areas of the state most threatened by development. 1,000 Friends of Washington 1,000 Friends of Washington brings citizens together to manage growth and stop sprawl. They recognize that only through proper planning will forests and farms be preserved. They provide information on implementing the Growth Management Act and are active in the defense of farmland against urban sprawl. American Farmland Trust The American Farmland Trust is devoted to preserving agricultural land and promoting sustainable farming practices nationwide. The Pacific Northwest regional office is promoting the Purchase of Agricultural Conservation Easements as a strategic tool for protecting farmland from development. Cascadia Pacific Center Inspired by the ability of European countries to develop urban areas while preserving farmland and open space, Robert Tibbs formed the Cascadia Pacific Center to facilitate a dialogue about a "smart growth" approach to the development of what he calls the 'Green Heartland' from Seattle to Vancouver, BC. His work was the subject of "Taking the Long View," a stunning cover story in the June, 2003 issue of Pacific Northwest magazine. King County Farm Preservation Program In 1979 the citizens of King County passed an initiative that created a national model for preserving farmland through the purchase of development rights. Since that time the King County Farm Preservation Program has permanently protected 12,800 acres of prime farmland in the Green, Sammamish, and Snoqualmie River Valleys, on the Enumclaw Plateau, and on Vashon Island. Okanogan Valley Land Council Through conservation easements and other preservation strategies, the Okanogan Valley Land Council seeks to maintain the land base essential for sustaining agriculture and forestry, as well as for wildlife and open space. PCC Farmland Fund The PCC Farmland Fund was created in 1999
by PCC Natural Markets, the nation's largest retail food cooperative,
to secure and preserve threatened farmland and move it into organic
production. The Fund works to assure land for farming and wildlife;
livelihood for farmers and farming communities; local, fresh organic
produce; and loyalty between the people who grow the food and the
people who eat it. In 2000 the Fund was incorporated as an independent
501(c) 3 nonprofit corporation, with PCC continuing as first among
its corporate donors. The Fund has been generously supported by
the community; in four years more than 1,400 donors have contributed
nearly one million dollars, sufficient to save more than 300 acres
of farmland. Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland Known as the "Magic Skagit," Washington's Skagit
Valley is struggling to sustain its agricultural heritage. Skagitonians
to Preserve Farmland is a nonprofit land trust dedicated to protecting
that heritage through public and landowner education, and through
land preservation strategies including conservation easements and
outright purchase. The organization also works to sustain commercial
agriculture in the valley by promoting marketing opportunities for
local farmers, supporting WSU's Mount
Vernon Research & Extension Unit, and by advocating for
supportive public policies, including the formation of a Skagit
County Agricultural Advisory Board. |