Category Overview
Farmland Preservation protects valuable farmland and habitat for recreationally important animals, like salmon, birds, deer, and elk. These projects allow families to continue farming the land they have worked on for generations, and provide Washingtonians with healthy local food and a diverse economy. WWRP is the only source of farmland preservation funding in the state budget.
Project Highlights
The State Conservation Commission (SCC) proposes to acquire a conservation easement for 1,563 acres to preserve the agricultural conservation values in perpetuity. The proposed project is in the Moxee watershed of Yakima County, a valley with a rich agricultural history. Although the landowner is a first-generation rancher, the property and associated leases have historically been utilized as a viable cow/calf operation. The landowner has several years of experience on this landscape and has first-hand knowledge of proper management provided by the previous rancher who is transitioning to retirement and giving the next generation of their opportunity. Currently the property is utilized for winter and spring forage until the herd is transported to the Cowiche Watershed west of Yakima for grazing on private and public leased lands. The SCC and North Yakima Conservation District (NYCD) have developed this project in partnership. SCC will hold and steward the easement backed up by the full resources of Washington State. As the local entity, NYCD will be contracted to monitor the easement on an annual basis. SCC and NYCD have a successful track record of completing and monitoring conservation easements. SCC and NYCD are both governmental organizations founded in Washington State law with good governance practices in place to assure transparency, accountability and sound stewardship of public fund investment.