Slide 1

Founded in 1989
Regional Land Trust
- King, Kittitas, Mason, Pierce and Snohomish
- Conservation Directors
- Community Trustees
- 40+ conservation staff
140,000 acres conserved

Variety of land protection tools to maximize conservation and economic value
Entrepreneurial and collaborative approach to land conservation
Work with voluntary landowners to realize their goals for their land
Provide fee for service – contracts
- Mitigation banking
- Transfer/Purchase of Development Rights
- Green Cities program
- Conservation development

enable developers whose projects result in impacts to wetlands to buy "credits" in an approved wetland mitigation bank instead of mitigating for impacts on-site
a private market based approach for conservation and restoration of critical habitat
CLC holds a conservation easement on 225 acres of wetlands in Snohomish County, a milestone in the growing program of mitigation banking in Washington State
Snohomish Habitat Bank is the first private wetland mitigation bank to be approved in Washington State.
river floodplain habitat will be restored to historic wetland conditions, providing habitat for endangered salmon and waterfowl

a market-based mechanism that promotes responsible growth,
conserving prime agricultural land and open space
TDR programs redirect growth -- not limit development
voluntary transactions
development rights are transferred from privately owned land (sending sites) to areas that can accommodate additional growth (receiving sites)
- Landowners in sending areas receive compensation for giving up their right to develop
- Developers in receiving areas pay for the right to a bonus in the receiving area, such as additional height or density than would otherwise be allowed
- When development rights are removed from a parcel, a conservation easement is placed on the sending site

Equity and compensation.
- In contrast to zoning restrictions, TDR compensates landowners who give up their right to develop. TDR is voluntary and fair.
Private funding.
- TDR uses the market to generate private funding for land conservation, helping to augment and leverage available public funds and programs.
Permanence.
- While zoning regulations can change over time, TDR protects property from development in perpetuity and allows resource uses to continue.
Cost effectiveness.
- By focusing development in areas that already have infrastructure capacity, TDR can reduce a region’s infrastructure costs and more efficiently accommodate growth.

Population is expected to double in the Central Cascades region of Washington State in the next 100 years
Cities and counties are looking beyond zoning for new tools to direct this growth into appropriate areas while protecting natural areas and respecting property rights
Transfer of Development Rights – TDR – is a key strategy for an economically strong and environmentally sound future for our region

importance of protecting natural areas for both local communities and wildlife habitat by making conservation a significant part of residential development
can ensure a win-win solution that enhances both ecological and social values by protecting land that otherwise may have been completely developed
CLC’s involvement help ensures development is held to high environmental standards, and that revenues from the project are set aside to support further open space conservation initiatives

East of Cle Elum
80 acres of working farmland and timberland
CLC holds conservation easement – development rights are removed
Farms and forests improve the quality of life of our region
- Economically
- Aesthetically
- Environmentally

Near Teanaway
Donated conservation easement
40-acres Hidden Valley Ranch, located on Swuak Creek
field areas, riparian/creek areas and recreation areas
Ensures property is available for outdoor recreation, grazing, and hay production in perpetuity

400 acres
Important for wildlife and recreation
- Bull trout, spotted owl
- Hunters, snowmobilers, cross-country skiers
Purchased by CLC and transferred to WDFW

300 acres near Snoqualmie Pass
Partnership between CLC, TPL, DNR
TPL purchased, grant money reimbursed, ownership to CLC, easement to DNR
Important cross-country ski trail system
Best remaining habitat links for north-south movement of wildlife in Cascades
- Gray wolf, spotted owl, grizzly bear, lynx