Land and Resource Conservation

Water and Land Resources Division (WLRD)

Conservation of Natural Lands

About this measure: This measure indexes three sub-measures yielding information about the effectiveness of land acquisition, stewardship and incentive programs administered by the Water and Land Resources Division.

This measure combines:

• The percentage of privately owned rural acres with a stewardship plan or that is enrolled in an open space incentive program. This includes farm, forest or rural stewardship plans, or enrollment in the Public Benefit Rating System for timber land, forest and agriculture.
• The percentage of public and private rural acres in permanent conservation. This includes those with conservation easements or land that is owned by a public agency.
• The percentage of total acres acquired by King County in 2007, through both fee simple agreements and easements (excluding those received by Transfer of Development Credits Program) that are medium-high or high priority lands.

For all of these measures, rural acres refer to all rural and agriculture zoned land, including Vashon Island and excluding the Forest Production District.

2007 results: Rural acres with stewardship plan or enrolled in open space incentive program:

• 2007 Results: 29.82 percent
• 2007 target: 29 percent

Rural acres in permanent conservation

• 2007 Results: 21.99 percent
• 2007 target: 22 percent

High to medium-high priority lands acquired

• 2007 Results: 90.7 percent
• 2007 target: = 80 percent

(New) Annual targets 2008 and beyond:

Because the incremental change of the first two land conservation measures is so small, targets are being converted from percentages of total rural acreage to actual acreage enrolled or conserved. The third acquisition measure will retain its target of 80 percent per year. Here are the new targets:

• Rural acres with stewardship plan or enrolled in open space incentive program: 2500 acres per year
• Rural acres in permanent conservation: 500 acres per year
• High to medium-high priority lands acquired per year: 80 percent

Influencing factors: Budget allocations, regulatory and policy changes all play a role in land conservation and acquisition activities. Implementing policy plans, such as salmon restoration plans or the flood hazard reduction plan, often identify or call for specific land acquisition and protection and outreach and education toward improving stewardship and changing environmental behavior.

Strategy going forward: Continue effective program delivery in encouraging stewardship and conservation on privately owned lands, and making the case for directing funds toward lands identified as high priority.

Next year, a new measure to reflect the performance of the Transfer of Development Credits Program will be developed. That program's focus may be expanded if changes proposed in the Executive's 2008 Comprehensive Plan are adopted by the King County Council later this year.

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