Farmland is at risk in Washington State!
Senate Bill 5651 (SB-5651) would repeal key provisions of our State’s Growth Management Act to allow public schools to be built on our State’s most precious and shrinking agricultural lands.
Read the full text of the SB-5651 by clicking here.
Senate Bill 5651 ignores the expressed will of Washingtonians that farmland can no longer be the consumptive land base for all other land uses in Puget Sound.
Senate Bill 5651 is in DIRECT CONFLICT with:
- The Washington State Growth Management Act (RCW 36.70A) in part, requires the designation of Agricultural Lands of Long Term Commercial Significance and adoption of development regulations to protect agricultural land from conversion and to
“. . . assure that the use of lands adjacent to agricultural . . . lands shall not interfere with the continued use, in the accustomed manner and in accordance with best management practices, of these designated lands for the production of food, agricultural products.”
- The Governor’s 2013 Working and Natural Lands Priority to:
Increase the net statewide acreage dedicated to working farms from 7.237 million to 7.347 million by 2020.[1]
- The Puget Sound Partnership, the lead State Agency in charge of restoring the health of Puget Sound, which advocates that:
“ . . . the continued loss of farms in the region and conversion to non-farm uses is not only detrimental to individual farmers and to the regional farm economy; but is detrimental to the recovery of Puget Sound . . . (emphasis added). [2]
The Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee is holding a public hearing on SB-5651 on Monday, February 13th at 1:30PM
HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Attend the hearing on Monday, February 13th at 1:30PM at the Senate Hearing Rm 1 J.A. Cherberg Building in Olympia, WA.
OR
CALL and/or EMAIL the Washington State Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee TODAY and let them know:
- To Vote NO on SB-5651 as currently written because:
- It is irresponsible to create unnecessary conflict between our school system and the health of our farming economy and the health of Puget Sound.
- Our remaining farmland in Washington State can no longer be the consumptive land base for all other uses.
- The Puget Sound region has already lost 60% of its farmland since the 1950s. [3]
- From 2001 to 2006, while the Growth Management Act has been in effect, approximately 4,300 acres farmland has been converted to impervious surfaces in Puget Sound.[4]
Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee Members:
Senator Hans Zeiger (R) – (Chair)
Email
(360) 786 – 7648
Senator Joe Fain (R) (Vice-Chair)
Majority Floor Leader
47th Legislative District
Email
(360) 786 – 7692
Senator Christine Rolfes (D)
23rd Legislative District
Email
(360) 786 – 7644
Senator Andy Billig (D)
Deputy Minority Leader
3rd Legislative District
Email
(360) 786 – 7604
Senator Mark Mullet (D)
Democratic Caucus Vice Chair
5th Legislative District
Email
(360) 786 – 7608
Senator Ann Rivers (R)
18th Legislative District
Email
(360) 786 – 7634
Senator Judy Warnick (R)
Majority Caucus Vice Chair
13th Legislative District
Email
(360) 786 – 7624
[1] Results Washington Goal 3 Outcome Measure 4.1
[2] Puget Sound Partnership. The 2012/2013 Action Agenda for Puget Sound. August 28, 2012. Page 51
[3] Dennis Canty, Alex Martinsons and Anshika Kumar. Losing Ground: Farmland Protection in the Puget Sound Region . Seattle: American Farmland Trust, 2013.
[4] 2011 Implementation Status Assessment Final Report. A Qualitative Assessment of Implementation of the Puget Sound Chinook Salmon Recovery Plan. A Report to the National Marine Fisheries Service. Page 15.
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