The Cascade Agenda, from conversation to conservation

THE Cascade Land Conservancy's 15th annual awards program celebrated the work of people who have made Puget Sound and a great swath of Washington a better place to live. Turnabout was also fair play.

The extraordinary confidence invested in the Land Conservancy's vision of how to rethink development and growth was affirmed with the Cascade Agenda Campaign reaching its $20 million goal.

Almost 2,000 people, from 17 counties, turned out for breakfast Thursday to endorse, applaud and write checks for a market-based strategy to land conservation. The land trust has protected more than 158,000 acres of working forests, farmlands and natural lands as it promotes new ways of building and planning rural communities and established urban areas.

Among the 2010 award winners was Mimi Gates, former director of the Seattle Art Museum. Her contributions to the civic environment include the inspiration to create the city's waterfront Sculpture Park and help guide the successful Cascade Agenda fundraising effort.

The Cascade Agenda Leadership Award went to the Cascade Water Alliance, City of Redmond, King County, Port of Seattle and Sound Transit for their work to preserve the 42-mile Eastside rail corridor as an opportunity for commuters, bicyclists and utility easements.

CLC President Gene Duvernoy spoke of a 100-year vision that looks to conserve nearly 1.3 million acres of working forests, farmlands, shorelines, parks and natural areas, while making cities and towns better places to live within their existing footprint.

The conservancy has an extraordinary pool of resources on which to draw for its work.

"This Campaign was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change conservation as we know it," said Nick Hanauer of Second Avenue Ventures and one of the co-chairs of the campaign. "This was an opportunity to bring to the marketplace new approaches that link business interests with conservation efforts, an intersection of the public and private sector and an opportunity to not only conserve a great deal of critical land but also create a civically engaged region."

As of 2010, the conservancy has a total of 188 completed conservation transactions. The Cascade Agenda, which began as a conversation a few years ago, continues to evolve into notable achievements across the region.