title
AN ORDINANCE establishing a demonstration project, as authorized under K.C.C. chapter 21A.55, for the emergency repair or reconfiguration of existing livestock flood sanctuaries or converting existing livestock flood sanctuaries to farm flood pads within the Snoqualmie Agricultural Production District; adding new sections to K.C.C. chapter 21A.06 ; and declaring an emergency.
body
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings.
A. The Growth Management Act ("GMA"), Countywide Planning Policies ("CPPs") and King County Comprehensive Plan ("KCCP") require the delineation and protection of valuable and increasingly limited agricultural resource lands and supports regulations that serve to encourage the continuation of agriculture land uses.
B. King County has identified and designated a number of Agricultural Production Districts totaling forty-two thousand acres and has implemented protections through the Agriculture zoning designation.
C. King County has enacted land use policies and regulations that focus much of the agriculture within the county towards the agricultural production districts and financially supports agriculture through:
1. Agricultural programs, such as the Farmland Preservation Program, Puget Sound Fresh and farm ditch maintenance; and
2. Funding of the King Conservation District for development of farm management plans.
D. The Snoqualmie Valley Agricultural Production District, at 14,581 acres, is the single, largest agricultural production district in King County and historically has had a very productive agricultural industry.
E. The Snoqualmie Valley Agricultural Production District is regularly inundated by flood waters and has experienced six of the eight largest flood events on record in the last twenty-one years, with the likelihood of more-frequent occurrences in the future.
F. These flood water levels are often increased by a number and variety of factors, such as storm water...
Click here for full text