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King County to purchase development rights to Enumclaw farms
The purchases would preserve eight farms and help fund 57 conservation projects that protect farmland, habitat and open space, county officials said.
- King County Executive Girmay Zahilay announced this week that the county will invest $100 million into 57 conservation projects, including about $1.5 million to purchase development rights for eight farms in Enumclaw.
- Funding for these conservation projects comes from the Conservation Futures program, restored by voters in 2022, and a parks levy renewed last year. The Farmland Preservation Program has protected more than 16,000 acres since 1979.
- Landowners selling development rights agree to "restrictive covenants," a contractual agreement limiting land use to agriculture. Hundreds of acres around Enumclaw and Black Diamond are already protected under the program.
- These purchases advance the Local Food Initiative, which aims to build a local farming economy and promote environmental sustainability. When King County buys farmland rights, those rights become available for developers to increase urban density.
- The Farmland Preservation Program secures land throughout the Green, Sammamish, and Snoqualmie River Valleys beyond Enumclaw. Revenue from development rights sales provides matching funds for the county to acquire additional open space.
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