Wetland bank can mean farmland loss

Farm and Ranch February 13, 2009 Offsetting the use of land for development projects by designating other acreage as a wetland bank does keep some property green and averts build-out of both sites. But there is another side. While a goal of no-net-loss of wetlands may be met, something else may be lost, farmland. That’s exactly what would happen in Skagit County where a wetland bank is proposed east of Mount Vernon near Barney Lake. It may only be about 400 acres but Skagit Valley potato grower and Washington State Potato Commissioner Darrin Morrison, says any time land is taken out of production, we get closer to eliminating the critical mass of property required to make farming viable in the Skagit Valley. He says it’s already happening with packing businesses closed so now there is a lot of self-pack where growers have to do it themselves. Bob Hart, president of Skagitonians to Preserve Farmlands, echoes Morrison’s critical mass argument. Hart: “If we don’t have enough ongoing farmers, our infrastructure, our suppliers, our equipment dealers, tractor dealers, our repair people, just are not going to stay here if they get below a certain threshold.” The Executive Director of Skagitonians to Preserve Farmlands, Allen Rozema, says that regarding critical mass, the potato industry in Skagit could currently be at the tipping point. That’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report. Brought to you in part by the Washington State Potato Commission. Nutrition today! Good health tomorrow! I’m Bob Hoff on the Northwest Ag Information Network.