Preservation funds sought for Monroe area

Snohomish County will pursue grant money to help protect farmland in Tualco Valley, south of Monroe.

In a split vote led by the Democratic majority, the County Council agreed last week to accept a $435,153 grant from the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service to support the county's purchase-of-development-rights program. The grant requires a match, so the council will apply for a matching amount from the state Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation.

The program works by purchasing the right to develop a piece of land from the land's owner and then placing a conservation easement on the property to permanently protect it from development.

The county is reviewing applications for easements on about 500 acres in Tualco Valley and will forward purchase recommendations to the County Council for final approval.

The county also has been working on a transfer-of-development-rights program, which would allow developers to purchase easements on farmland in order to develop less sensitive areas.