About Us

October 27th, 2008

“Our mission is to promote the vitality of farming, farmers, and ranchers by ensuring that we will continue to have productive agricultural lands in Washington State. We will achieve this through policy recommendations to the Governor, the Legislature, the Office of Farmland Preservation and others and by enlisting public support. Programs will be voluntary, recognize local priorities, and provide for economic incentives.”

The Office of Farmland Preservation is housed within the Washington State Conservation Commission; it is headed by Executive Director Mark Clark of the WSCC. For more information on the Office of Farmland Preservation, an administrative entity that acts in support of the OFP Task Force, please contact the Office of Farmland Preservation Project Coordinator Josh Giuntoli.


Why preserve farmland?
Tuesday, 31 July 2007


There are many important reasons for preserving farmland in Washington State:

  • Farmland is a finite natural resource because areas with prime agricultural soils are limited.
  • Agriculture is an important part of Washington state’s economy - with a substantial market value; it provides jobs (not just on farms, but also in food processing and related industries), and it attracts tourists for its scenic character.
  • Growing food locally helps to meet sustainable development goals.
  • There are many intangible benefits associated with farmland, including aesthetic, open space, and sense of place.
  • Farming is part of the rural lifestyle and is a central part of Washington State’s heritage.
  • Farmland offers environmental benefits including wildlife habitat and the potential for groundwater recharge.
  • In terms of the cost of public services, farmlands like other resource lands, more than pay for the community services they require.
  • Washington farmland is being converted rapidly to other uses. There is growth and redevelopment pressure for other, more profitable, uses.
  • In Washington, communities are required by the Growth Management Act to protect resource lands, including farmland.

For more on this topic, see the Fact Sheet: “Why Save Farmland?” by American Farmland Trust.

Source: Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington