Skagit County approves option to purchase Haller Farm to enable coordinated habitat and farmland plan

Skagit County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to approve an option agreement giving the county the exclusive right for 2½ years to purchase the Haller Farm, a roughly 540–544 acre family property on the North Fork of the Skagit River.

The option secures time for due diligence, a market appraisal and partner fundraising while carving out a maximum habitat footprint of about 110 acres for Chinook habitat restoration and preserving the remainder through a farmland-legacy easement. The board approved the agreement 3-0.

Why it matters: County staff and local drainage districts described the purchase-rights agreement as a mechanism to break long-running gridlock over how to reconcile farm operations, failing drainage infrastructure and tribal habitat priorities on the Skagit–Samish delta. Will Hoehne, who presented the proposal, said the option “provides a 2 and a half year period” for appraisal and funding and that the county committed to covering the first two option payments as a way to “incentivize everyone to work together in good faith.”

Supporters including the Drainage and Irrigation District Consortium and several dyking districts urged the county to move forward so agencies, tribes and local districts can jointly plan infrastructure replacement and habitat design. Jennifer Freebelle of the Drainage Consortium told commissioners the option “is a first step towards Skagit tribal and local governments working collaboratively over the long term to sustain and protect the Skagit–Samish delta.” Several drainage-district leaders and farming advocates said they view the measure as an opportunity to protect both farms and fisheries.

Opposition and concerns: Some attendees questioned whether the county should enter the real-estate option business at all. Cedar Woolley resident Cody Hart said he opposed county involvement, arguing private owners and markets should resolve farmland transfers without county intervention. Commissioners acknowledged that county participation is unusual but said local government leadership was necessary to coordinate a multi-benefit outcome.

Terms and next steps: The purchase price listed by the family was $12,500,000. Hoehne said that, on a per-acre basis, the price “breaks down to just over $21,000 an acre” when including uplands and built improvements, and he noted a formal fair‑market appraisal will be required. The option agreement includes three exhibits: a legal description; a purchase-and-sale agreement that would control closing terms if the option is exercised; and the maximum habitat footprint for restoration work. The county’s approval covers only the option payments; county leaders said full acquisition funding would come from partners, grants and conservation buyers.

Commission action: The Board of County Commissioners approved the option agreement by roll-call vote, 3–0. Commissioners discussed the project’s multi‑benefit goals — protecting farmland, repairing aging drainage infrastructure and advancing Chinook recovery — before voting.

What remains unresolved: The exact acreage that will be restored as habitat will be finalized during project planning, and some adjacent landowners within the broader Sullivan Hacienda footprint have not yet agreed to any sale or project terms. The proposal anticipates that Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and treaty tribes could take title to parts of the project area at closing and that a multi‑party project committee would lead permitting and design.