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Farmland
Preservation
I.
Overview
Fragmentation
of habitat has been one of the most common and widespread impacts
of transportation on natural habitat and wildlife. That disruption
and fragmentation of habitat is caused by the direct and indirect
intervention of roads and other modes of transportation in the same
geographic space used by wildlife. The result of increased networks
of transportation is a fragmentation in habitat in two ways:
1) by reducing
the overall amount available in naturally occurring fragments due
to substituted transportation networks
2) to isolate habitat to such an extent that movement by natural
wildlife among different isolated sections of habitat becomes difficult
if not impossible.
Seattle and other commuters have increased the pressures on farmland
to be sold to developers for residential building. Many developers
are able to draw on land for that new building with vested privileges.
The question of vesting is one of the more controversial as regards
farmland preservation. The sanctity of private property is also
a critical aspect of the problem.
Economic issues
challenge the existing situation with farmland preservation on a
daily basis. Increased costs for agricultural production result
in the resulting sale of land results in the loss of environmentally
sensitive lands. Other social and cultural losses in rural communities
are also related aspects of the continuing problem of farmland preservation.
1. Regional
The website
of Puget Sound Farm Facts provides a good overview of farming preservation
issues in Puget Sound.
http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/farms/farmfacts.htm
2. Washington
State Community, Trade and Economic Development provides state-level
information on farmland preservation and the GMA.
http://www.ocd.wa.gov/info/lgd/growth/index.html
The Growth Management
Program of CTED is responsible for advising as concerns planning
for rural lands and rural quality of life.
http://www.ocd.wa.gov/info/lgd/growth/fact_sheets/Rural_Lands.htm
3. Farm Fresh
Guide
The Farm Fresh
Guide is published by the Puget Sound Farm-Direct Marketing Association,
a self-supporting nonprofit association of farmers who sell directly
from their farms at roadside stands, U-Pick operations and Farmers
Markets.
http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/farms/index.htm
4. Farmland
Preservation Program
The Farmland
Preservation Program (FPP) began in 1979 when the voters of King
County approved an initiative authorizing the County to preserve
rapidly diminishing farmland by purchasing the right to develop
it.
http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/lands/farmpp.htm
II.
Federal Information Sources
1. US EPA
http://www.epa.gov/region5/sprawl/farmland.htm
2. US Department
of Agriculture
The Natural
Resources Conservation Service is a Federal agency that works in
partnership with the American people to conserve and sustain our
natural resources.
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/
III.
Non-government Information Sources
1. Washington
Farm Bureau
The Farm Bureau
in Washington has almost 20,000 member families and is the largest
trade association in the state - not the largest representing farmers,
but the largest overall. We prefer to be recognized as an advocacy
organization whose mission is to represent the interests of family
farmers.
http://www.wsfb.com/
2. Agricultural
Research Center (ARC) of Washington State University
The role of
the Agricultural Research Center at Washington State University
is to promote research beneficial to Washington's citizens.
http://arc.cahe.wsu.edu/
3. Washington
State Grange
The Washington
State Grange, organized in 1889, is the statewide voice for nearly
50,000 Grangers in 373 local Granges. Washington has the largest
Grange membership of any state in the nation.
http://www.grange.org/washington/index.htm
4. Wannabe Farmers
Wannabe Farmers
is a not-for-profit, educational group founded in Seattle, Washington
whose purpose is to learn the basics of organic farming and direct
marketing through reading, discussion and hands-on practice.
http://www.scn.org/edu/wannabe/
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IV.
What the Press Say
1. Seattle Times
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/local/html98/mead_020899.html
Prepared by Nathaniel Trumbull and Professor Christine Bae. Last
updated 10/27/2000.
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