Office of Farmland Preservation

Eight counties in Washington State will begin or further develop farmland preservation programs this year with grants recently announced by the state’s new Office of Farmland Preservation.

Kittitas, Clark, Clallam, Jefferson, Whatcom, Thurston, San Juan and Klickitat Counties will benefit from the grants, which are for a maximum of $25,000 each. A block grant from the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program, which is administered by the Recreation and Conservation Office, provided the funding for the grant program.

Activities funded by the grants will continue through 2008. Those activities vary under the terms of individual county proposals that were approved following a competitive application and evaluation process. Activities eligible for funding under the program include assessing community interest in farmland preservation, developing priorities for farmland to be preserved, writing a county farmland preservation strategy or establishing a local process for identifying high priority farms to protect.

Further information can be obtained from Steve McGonigal, manager, Office of Farmland Preservation, P.O. Box 47721, Olympia, WA 98500; (360) 407-7474.