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Skagit County approves tax to aid conservation district

By Jacqueline Allison, Skagit Valley Herald
Published: October 22, 2019, 8:54pm

MOUNT VERNON — The Skagit County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved Tuesday a tax to help pay for the Skagit Conservation District’s services, which include forestry, education and assistance to farm owners.

Property owners in Skagit County will pay $5 a parcel a year, forest land owners $3 a parcel, and agricultural land owners $1 a parcel. The tax will begin in 2020 and end after five years, unless renewed.

Conservation District Manager Bill Blake said the tax will generate about $274,000 a year and pay for a full-time forester, cost-share projects to help farmers manage their land, volunteer training programs and more.

He said the money will allow the district to upgrade technology, replace vehicles and build up its reserves.

The district had originally discussed a larger request that included a per-acre charge and would have brought in about $310,000 a year.

Blake said the district dropped the per-acre charge because it would have been unfair to large farms. He said there was also an effort to avoid duplication of services provided to farmers by drainage and irrigation districts.

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