SPF Supports Agricultural Scenic Corridor Legislation

Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland is pleased to be working with Senator Mary Margaret Haugen in creating what could become the first designated Agricultural Scenic Corridor in Washington State.Senate Bill 6211 would designate nearly all of Interstate 5 through Skagit County, from Conway Hill (Exit 218) to Bow Hill (Exit 236), as an Agricultural Scenic Corridor, setting the stage for the community to come together to create a corridor management plan. Such a plan would protect, enhance and reinforce the natural qualities of the corridor and reinforce the value of the Skagit Valley to the economy and ecology of Puget Sound.There is no state funding associated with this legislation. It only sets the stage for a future opportunity to create a corridor management plan that would establish voluntary guidelines and measures for protecting and enhancing the corridor.Once a corridor plan has been adopted, the community will become eligible for new and additional sources of federal funding from the federal scenic byway program for projects within the corridor, including new federal funding for the purchase of development rights to permanently protect farmland.SPF is excited about the potential for this designation. It will provide one more tool in the toolbox for protecting farmland. SPF has been successful in partnering with Skagit County’s Farmland Legacy program to leverage public and private donor dollars to protect farmland along Interstate 5. The designation as an Agricultural Scenic Corridor brings the potential for increased federal funding to Skagit County and SPF for protecting farmland in this critical corridor.You can support SPF this legislative session by contacting your state Senator and Representative and urging them to support this designation. It costs nothing and creates the opportunity for the community to come together in the future to protect the important regional resources that the Skagit Valley provides.See SPF's position on SB 6211 under Publications / Documents on this site.Visit Link