County Council hears of citizens’ support for the Conservation District

Published 10:59 pm Tuesday, September 23, 2008

EVERETT — Kathryn Kirby says her neighbors are already benefiting from paying $5 a year to the Snohomish Conservation District, whether they know it or not.

Kirby’s small farm between Snohomish and Monroe is on a hill, and the district has given her great advice on how to keep it clean, she said.

“Everything flows downhill, and everybody is downhill from somebody,” Kirby said.

The Snohomish Conservation District is asking the County Council for the authority to charge $5 to most property owners in the county to ensure its funding.

The district teaches backyard conservation and works with farmers on voluntary plans to manage manure, grazing, erosion and the use of fertilizers and pesticides. It also runs programs to restore the health of streams and replace clogged culverts to allow fish migration.

It gets a chunk of its funding from the county. That funding is slated to be cut to the point where the district would not be able to serve the whole county, officials say.

Twenty-five people, most of them farmers, sang the conservation district’s praises to the County Council in a hearing Tuesday. Each said the district had helped them at some time or another, and because it provides support without fines, it’s much better received by the farming community than other government agencies.

“That leads to an open conversation that’s nonadversarial,” said Peter Moon, who runs a Snohomish composting operation.

The council didn’t make a decision on the plan but asked the staff to draw up an ordinance for consideration.

State law allows the fee to be collected on property tax bills. King County assesses $10 per property. Other counties charge $5 per property, and some add a per-acre charge. About three-quarters of the properties in Snohomish County would be affected by the fee proposal, which would not take effect until 2010.

The cores of the oldest cities in the county are not part of the district and wouldn’t be included in the proposed tax increase. Property owned by American Indian tribes won’t be charged the new fee. It won’t be charged on properties that pay a county fee for the Stillaguamish Clean Water District, from which the conservation district receives some of its funds.

The Snohomish Conservation District received $260,000 from the county this year, in addition to approximately $230,000 from the Stillaguamish Clean Water District. County Executive Aaron Reardon’s budget reduces the county portion to $175,000, and in 2010 it would disappear altogether, leaving the Stillaguamish Clean Water District as the district’s sole source of funding.

This means the district could not provide service outside the Stillaguamish River drainage basin — basically, north county — if it doesn’t get more money, said Monte Marti, vice chairman of the district.

Reardon made the cuts presuming that the fee plan would be approved, said Christopher Schwarzen, a spokesman for Reardon.

“If not, we’ll come back and look at that one,” he said.

On Tuesday, farmers told story after story of how the district has helped them.

Adam Farnham said the district pointed out efficiencies to him that are saving him $2,000 a year in raw materials.

“It was a no-brainer for them, it was a big brainer for me,” he said. “The only thing I bring in every year is a little bit of grass seed and some herbicide for the weeds in my driveway.”

Two of the five council members, Dave Somers and Brian Sullivan, said they support the plan. Councilman John Koster, a former farmer, said he isn’t sure.

Many other special taxing districts, such as Sound Transit, are planning to ask for more money soon, Koster said. “I would hate to just pile on and pile on and pile on,” he said.

Koster also said he’d like to make sure some of the district’s services aren’t being duplicated by county agencies such as the surface water management division.

Marti said later that the conservation district provides a broader range of services than the surface water division. While both might advise a farmer on wildlife habitat, the district will also help farmers keep animal waste out of streams, he said.

Marti said the district enjoys broad support in the county from environmental groups, cities, individuals and farmers.

“Those are people who never agree on anything,” he said. “They agree on one thing, the conservation district and what we do and the programs we provide. That’s unique.”

Reporter Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439 or sheets@heraldnet.com.