Drafter
Clerk 01/28/2010
Title
A MOTION recognizing and endorsing the recommendations of the FARMS Report - Future of Agriculture, Realize Meaningful Solutions Report.
Body
WHEREAS, King County has a remarkable legacy of public actions to preserve farmlands and to encourage farming, and
WHEREAS, revenue traditionally used to support agriculture including the county's general fund is under significant fiscal pressure, and
WHEREAS, the county's surface water management fund can be used for drainage and water quality services that benefit agriculture and is also under significant fiscal pressure, and
WHEREAS, there are many high priority competing needs for all funds that could support agriculture, and
WHEREAS, the King County council passed Ordinance 16172 requesting that the department of natural resources and parks and the King County agriculture commission convene a planning process to address the future of agriculture in the agricultural production districts, and
WHEREAS, the report is to be presented to the council no later than January 1, 2010, and
WHEREAS, five public meetings were held, with over two hundred participants attending those meetings; and
WHEREAS, the agriculture commission and department of natural resources and parks staff spent fourteen months gathering, analyzing and synthesizing input from over one thousand farmers and citizens, and
WHEREAS, the agriculture commission worked in partnership with King County staff to develop recommendations and actions needed to sustain economically viable agriculture in King County, and
WHEREAS, the agriculture commission believes implementation of these recommendations is critical to the future of sustainable economically viable agriculture in King County, and
WHEREAS, the recommendations made in the FARMS Report - Future of Agriculture, Realize Meaningful Solutions reflect the major issues and challenges facing agriculture in King County, and
WHEREAS, implementation of these recommendations...
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