Constantine proposes measure to speed up preservation of open spaces
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King County Executive Dow Constantine has announced a proposal for the November ballot that he says would accelerate the county’s ability to protect 65,000 acres of the county’s open spaces.
The proposal would increase property taxes in King County.
Constantine said the Land Conservation Initiative would restore the local Conservation Futures Program to its original rate in 2023 and would cost the owner of a median-value home less than $2 more per month.
The proposed initiative would preserve the “last, best 65,000 acres of open space within 30 years” across six categories:
Urban greenspace
Trails
Natural lands
River corridors
Farmland
Forests
“This is our generation’s moment to protect the last, best places – forests, trails, rivers, farmland, and greenspace – before they are lost forever,” said Executive Constantine. “By accelerating land conservation throughout King County, we will confront climate change by protecting mature forests, improve habitat for native salmon, strengthen our local food economy, provide more recreational opportunities, and ensure more equitable access to the outdoors.”
Since King County began participating in the Conservation Futures Program in 1982, it has protected more than 100,000 acres of open space, but the program is now only generating about half the revenue originally authorized by voters due to actions by the state, according to a King County news release.
As a result, the Conservation Futures tax rate has declined while property values have increased.
If approved, the King County Council will vote this summer on whether to put Constantine’s proposal on the November ballot.
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