Drafter
Clerk 02/28/2017
Title
A MOTION providing direction to the conservation futures citizen oversight committee on priorities for allocating conservation futures tax levy funds.
Body
WHEREAS, RCW 84.34.010 declares that it is in the best interest of the state to maintain, preserve, conserve and otherwise continue in existence adequate open space lands for the production of food, fiber and forest crops and to ensure the use and enjoyment of natural resources and scenic beauty for the economic and social well-being of the state and its citizens, and
WHEREAS, RCW 84.34.210 authorizes the county to acquire property rights "to protect, preserve, maintain, improve, restore, limit the future use of, or other otherwise conserve, selected open space land, farm and agricultural land, and timber land," and
WHEREAS, property rights acquired under this authorization are defined as conservation futures, and
WHEREAS, RCW 84.34.230 authorizes the use of a property tax levy to fund the acquisition of conservation futures and the maintenance and operation of acquired properties, and
WHEREAS, RCW 84.34.240 authorizes counties to establish a special conservation futures fund to which the levy proceeds are credited, and
WHEREAS, King County has established a conservation futures tax levy and fund, and
WHEREAS, King County is required to establish a process to help ensure, over time, that the distribution of the tax levy is throughout the county, and
WHEREAS, K.C.C. chapter 26.12 establishes an annual process for distribution of the tax levy to acquire open space lands, including green spaces, greenbelts, wildlife habitat and trail rights-of-way, and
WHEREAS, the process includes a citizen oversight committee that makes project and funding allocation recommendations for each project to the executive, and
WHEREAS, the executive makes project and funding recommendations as part of the budget process, and
WHEREAS, K.C.C. 26.12.010 allows the council to adopt a motion pr...

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