SKAGIT COUNTY, Wash. – Twenty-five years.
That’s how long Skagit County has been working to protect farmland.
The Farmland Legacy Program is a county-funded initiative aimed at protecting agricultural character and productivity in the region.
So far they’ve protected almost 14,000 acres of land.
That includes 72 acres in 2021, in areas around La Conner, Conway and Fir Island.
And for 2022, the County has $1.8 million to use for additional easement purchases.
The Farmland Legacy Program compensates landowners for any unused residential development rights and restricts use of that land in the future to agriculture.