Federal funding now available for Whatcom County farm-preservation efforts

County previously told not to expect money this year

JARED PABEN - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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Whatcom County was set to get no money from the federal government to help buy development rights and protect farmland this year.

That has changed.

An email from an Olympia-based USDA program liaison to county planners says the agency now has funding to help buy development rights and preserve three farms in the county.

Nearly $600,000 from the Department of Agriculture would help buy the rights to build 17 homes on a total of 313 acres. The county would have to match that sum dollar-for-dollar by spending conservation futures money, which comes from a property tax increase approved by voters. The total cost, then, could be about $1.2 million.

The money would be used to buy easements on the properties, preventing development.

Often, farmers use money from the sale to put back into their farm, said county planner Samya Lutz.

The federal money was made available for Whatcom County because programs in other states weren't able to spend theirs, said Dean Martin, a county planner. The money would go toward the following farms this year:

Dean and Heather Tjoelker: Grass and corn sileage, heifers; 115 acres north of Burk Road between Markworth and Sunrise roads; 8 development rights.

Shannon and Larea Tjoelker: Grass and corn silage, pasture with more than 100 heifers; 80 acres south of Burk Road, across from the Dean and Heather Tjoelker farm; 2 development rights.

John VanderVeen: Beef cattle, hay and pasture; 118 acres east of Lynden and north of Everson south of Badger Road; 7 development rights.

Dean and Heather Tjoelker have indicated they might not proceed with selling their rights to the county, Lutz said. If that's the case, the county needs to find out if a different purchase could be funded, she said.

Also, John VanderVeen has withdrawn one parcel from consideration, so the cost will go down.

Planners are still checking on the properties and the legal status of rights on them, Lutz said. If there are no hitches, planners will ask the County Council to approve spending the money, probably in October or November. If approved, the county might be able to close the sales soon after.