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A MOTION authorizing the King County executive to accept a donation of $1,080,000 towards the purchase price of a conservation easement on Evans creek in unincorporated King County, appraised at $2,480,000, for agricultural and fish and wildlife habitat preservation purposes.

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                     WHEREAS, King County's Land Conservation Initiative, initiated by Ordinance 18774, developed in response to Motion 14458, seeks to protect open space for the benefit of people and the environment, and

                     WHEREAS, Evans creek and its riparian corridor are home to countless bird, mammalian, and fish species, including the threatened chinook salmon and substantial populations of coho and sockeye salmon; and

                     WHEREAS, Rimrock Properties LLC, a Washington limited liability company ("the property owner"), is the owner of parcel 172506-9005, located along Evans creek in unincorporated King County, and

                     WHEREAS, King County and the property owner have mutual interests in limiting development on parcel 172506-9005 to protect agricultural land and fish and wildlife habitat, and

                     WHEREAS, King County has negotiated a purchase and sale agreement with the property owner to purchase an agricultural conservation easement over and upon parcel 172506-9005, thereby preventing the conversion of agricultural lands to non-agricultural uses, and

                     WHEREAS, an independent appraiser has valued an agricultural conservation easement over parcel 172506-9005 at $2,480,000, and

                     WHEREAS, the property owner desires to donate a portion of the appraised value of the agricultural conservation easement to King County by reducing the purchase price of the agricultural conservation easement by $1,080,000, with the remainder funded through the Land Conservation Initiative, initiated by Ordinance 18774 developed in response to Motion 14458, and

                     WHEREAS, K.C.C. chapter 7.08 provides that the King County parks and recreation division of the department of natural resources and parks has the authority to accept gifts and donations to the county of or in support of parks and recreation facilities and programs, and

                     WHEREAS, the open space acquisition unit within the water and land resources division of the department of natural resources and parks is responsible for handling the technical real estate transaction and administrative matters associated with the donation, including the closing and recording of the easement, and is authorized to execute such other documents as are necessary to complete the transaction, and

                     WHEREAS, under K.C.C. chapter 2.80, gifts, bequests and donations for parks and recreation purposes that exceed fifty thousand dollars require acceptance on behalf of King County by the King County council by motion;

                     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:

                     The King County executive is authorized to accept the donation of $1,080,000 in value toward King County's purchase of an agricultural conservation easement on parcel 172506-9005, consistent with the King County Real Estate Purchase and Sale Agreement attached to this motion as Attachment A to this motion.