Proposed fee to fund localconservation efforts
Published on Thu, Jan 17, 2008Read More Local News
Published 1/17/08
Proposed fee to fund local conservation efforts
Property owners, mostly in rural Snohomish County and Camano Island, may find a new $5 fee on their tax bills starting in 2009. The fee, proposed by the Snohomish Conservation District, would help fund programs aimed at cleaning up the local environment.
The district works to restore the health of streams for better fish migration, teaches backyard conservation techniques, and helps farmers develop voluntary plans to manage manure and grazing.
The Snohomish Conservation District (SCD) was created in 1941 to serve Snohomish County. Responsibility for the Camano Island area was added in 1961. The agency’s operation has been dependent on annually renewed County Council funding since its inception, which has made it difficult to plan and implement long-range programs.
A five-year term is proposed for the fee assessment, which would impact more than 200,000 properties. The older core areas of cities in the county are generally not included in the district’s oversight, nor is property owned by Indian tribes. Landowners who pay a fee to the Stillaguamish Clean Water District would be exempt from the assessment.
Approval of the proposal by the County Council would establish a budget of $1.3 million for SCD, plus any state grants it may receive. The district currently has 13 employees and is planning to hire an urban liaison to encourage cities to establish stricter stormwater rules and help steer future development.
The proposal is scheduled to be heard by the County Council in February. To see a complete copy of the plan, visit www.snohomishcd.org, or call the District office at (425) 335-5634, ext. 4 for more information.
