This grant will be used to help the Whatcom County Purchase of Development Rights program preserve approximately 270 acres of farmland through permanent conservation easements on 2 farms. Through these easements, roughly 13 development rights on agricultural soils will be extinguished, providing greater agricultural viability and sending a strong message that the county and state value long term agricultural use. Together with ongoing partnerships with countywide agricultural advisory committees, the Whatcom Land Trust, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, and the local Conservation District; the RCO grant will strengthen Whatcom County’s PDR program, increasing by about 17% the number of development rights extinguished, and increasing by over 47% the acreage of agricultural land permanently protected. These outcomes are critical pieces of meeting the county’s comprehensive goal of maintaining 100,000 agricultural acres, thereby securing the viability of an agricultural resource economy.