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Snohomish County Council approves $3 million purchase of 129-acre MOGA property for conservation
Summary
The county approved Motion 25-064 to buy 129 acres from MOGA Properties LLC for $3,000,000 to create the Moga Conservation Area, enabling Thomas Eddy Phase 2 floodplain restoration work and prohibiting hunting on the property.
Snohomish County Council on Feb. 4 approved Motion 25-064 to purchase a 129-acre property from MOGA Properties LLC for $3,000,000 and to name the land the Moga Conservation Area.
Council staff said the purchase is intended to support floodplain restoration and reconnection work for the county’s Thomas Eddy Phase 2 project and to increase habitat connectivity adjacent to the Bob Herman Wildlife Preserve. Ryan Hambrick, council staff, told the council the parcel sits across the Snohomish River from the county’s Thomas Eddy Phase 1 project and that buying the property would allow Phase 2 work to begin.
The county previously allocated funding through the Conservation Futures Property Tax Fund for several projects; council staff said the 129-acre MOGA site was included in that funding package. The purchase-and-sale agreement, as presented to the council, includes a no-hunting restriction and a revised closing date no later than June 30, 2025. If the county acquires the property, staff said additional grant funding would be sought and feasibility and conceptual restoration designs would be developed.
The motion to approve the purchase was made and seconded during the administrative session; the council recorded an affirmative vote and the motion passed. The transcript records multiple “aye” votes with no nays or abstentions; five council members were recorded on the dais during the meeting.
Next steps described by staff include pursuing grant funding for restoration feasibility and conceptual design work tied to Thomas Eddy Phase 2. The county did not provide a firm timeline for design completion in the meeting.
