Skagit County approves farmland conservation easements, rental-assistance agreement and lease extension; consent agenda passes

Skagit County commissioners approved several consent and miscellaneous items on March 10, including two farmland legacy conservation easements, a tenant-based rental assistance contract administration agreement and a lease amendment for property in the Cascades Railroad Corridor.

The board approved two Farm and Legacy Program grant deeds of conservation easement. Sarah Stoner, agricultural lands coordinator with Skagit County Public Works, described the first easement as protecting 40 acres owned by Jerry and Jenny Nelson in Bow; the county will remove one development right and compensate the landowners $95,000. Stoner said the Nelson property is prime farmland as classified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and that the Nelson operation has previously protected approximately 1,500 acres through the county program.

The second easement, for William and Marion Ruzin, would protect 39 acres on Best Road south of Highway 20, remove one residential development right and provide $95,000 in compensation. Stoner said the Ruzin property was also mapped as prime farmland by the NRCS and that both proposed easements conserve open farmland and soil resources identified in the easement documents.

Commissioner Browning praised the longtime farming families and thanked staff for advancing the easements. The motion to approve both farmland easements carried 3-0.

The board also ratified a personal services agreement with Community Action of Skagit County to administer a tenant-based rental assistance program for individuals with behavioral health disorders. The agreement provides compensation not to exceed $30,000, is ratified to Jan. 1, 2025, and runs through Dec. 30, 2025, as stated in the agenda materials. Commissioner Wiesen stated he serves on the Community Action board and recused himself from consideration of miscellaneous items 1, 2 and 3 (the rental assistance agreement and two related HOME program items); the motion to approve those items passed 2-0 with the recusal noted.

Commissioners also approved Amendment No. 2 to lease agreement 003989 with Birdsview LLC, successor to Genicke Family Trust, to lease land within the Cascades Railroad Corridor. The amendment extends the lease term from April 30, 2025, to April 30, 2027. The original lease commenced April 1, 1998; the agenda materials state lease payments shall not exceed $6,000 per year and all other prior terms remain in effect. The motion to approve the lease amendment carried with two affirmative votes and one recusal.

On the broader consent agenda, the board approved items 1 through 35 and 37 through 48 as presented, with items 36 (the Marches Point/Whitmarsh Landfill remediation bid award) and 47 (a personal services agreement with Costco Health Solutions) pulled for separate consideration. The consent motion passed unanimously on the recorded voice vote.

Why this matters: The farmland easements preserve prime agricultural soils and remove development rights on private land in Skagit County. The rental assistance agreement directs a modest, county-ratified allocation to local nonprofit administration of tenant-based support for people with behavioral health needs. The lease amendment continues an existing corridor lease arrangement.

Next steps: Staff will finalize recorded easement documents and implement the lease amendment per contract terms; the county will proceed with Community Action to administer the tenant-based rental assistance program during the 2025 period.