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Farmland Preservation Program
The Farmland Preservation Program protects against loss of farmland in King County through the purchase of agricultural easements, known as Deed of and Agreement Relating to Development Rights. Purchases began in the early 1980’s and continue today. Most of the 16,400 acres protected to date are located in agricultural production districts, as well as other rural areas.
The Farmland Preservation Program (FPP) began in 1979 when voters of King County approved an initiative authorizing the County to purchase agricultural easements to protect against the loss of high quality farmland. These easements are known as Deed of and Agreement Relating to Development Rights (“Deed”). During the 1980's, King County acquired Deeds on 12,600 acres of privately owned land. The County continues to purchase Deeds on select properties and now more than 16,400 acres are permanently protected.
FPP properties include dairies, beef, horse and other animal operations as well as farms growing row crops, berries, hay, and silage, or others such as nurseries, turf farms, and Christmas trees. Deed protected farmlands are in the Green, Sammamish, and Snoqualmie River Valleys, as well as on the Enumclaw Plateau and Vashon Island.
In selling development rights to their property through the Deed, an owner allows restrictive covenants to be placed on the land which limit the property's use and development. The main covenants:
- restrict the property to agriculture or open space uses,
- limit the number of residences permitted,
- require that 95% of the property be kept open and available for cultivation,
- require a minimum lot size if the property is subdivided, and
- restrict activities that would impair the agricultural capability of the property.
In 2009, King County Council authorized the use of a Replacement Deed when purchasing rights on farmland. This is the boilerplate King County Agricultural Conservation Easement: Deed and Agreement Relating to Development Rights used today.