Island Co. delays conservation fee decision

The Island County Board of Commissioners delayed a decision on the Snohomish Conservation District’s funding request last Monday.

The Snohomish and Whidbey Island conservation districts have asked the county to pass a $5 per parcel plus .05 cents per acre annual fee. The districts, nonregulatory state agencies, work with private landowners on a voluntary basis on conservation issues.

The fee would last for 10 years, and would raise about $242,676 per year. The Snohomish Conservation District would receive $57,649 from Camano Island residents to pay for projects on the island.

The commissioners unanimously voted to have the county’s prosecuting attorney draft an ordinance for the assessment. However, the assessment has yet to be approved.

In addition, Commissoner John Dean expressed a desire for an interlocal agreement between the conservation districts and the county that would ensure the districts, and not the county, would be liable for any refunds ordered by a court.

Dean said the commissioners have the duty to determine if the assessment would serve public interest.

“This is not about good or bad timing,” he said.

Both islands are dependent on sole-source aquifers, Dean said. The districts promote low-impact development and protect habitat, critical areas and water quality.

“I must conclude that the public’s interest is served by this proposal,” he said.

Considering that 59 percent of Island County is Puget Sound waters, the benefits from the conservation districts are clear, said Commissioner Helen Price Johnson.

In addition, the districts are in a unique position to assist landowners with following regulations in a nonregulatory fashion, she said.

Difficult economic times make the services the conservation districts offer even more necessary for the public, since they are available to landowners free of cost, Johnson said.

Commissioner Angie Homola said she had not decided on the assessment request. She expressed a desire to have some level of scrutiny to ensure that the conservation districts, in helping to create farm plans for landowners, would enforce the critical areas regulations. She also wanted more details about how the assessment would be logistically handled by the county.

The Snohomish Conservation District is nonregulatory, and landowners voluntarily work with it, said Lois Ruskell, district public outreach coordinator. The county would have to do any enforcement of the critical areas regulations, she said.

Staff Reporter Kristi Pihl: 629-8066 ext. 125 or kpihl@ scnews.com.