A community-driven review of Thurston County government's policies and programs related to agriculture is in process now. The Board of County Commissioners approved this project, numbered as CPA-16, for the 2020-2021 Official Docket of Comprehensive Plan Amendments. The project includes, but may not be limited to, a review of the following:
Staff is working closely with the county's Agriculture Advisory Committee and other stakeholders throughout the county to help define priority issues the project should address.
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Project Updates: Results from the Community Survey on Agriculture
(Past) Watch the May 20, 2021 project update provided to the Agriculture Advisory Committee, including discussion of several near-term action proposals focused on incentive programs. https://youtu.be/EX6lzf7xkfI
(Past) Watch the May 13, 2021 project update provided to the Board of County Commissioners, including a presentation on the final Community Agriculture Survey Report and preliminary actions planned for the project. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv2cEasALjU
(Past) Watch the April 15, 2021 project update provided to the Thurston County Agriculture Advisory Committee, including a presentation on a second draft of the Community Agriculture survey report, as well as a discussion of long-term agricultural lands designation: https://youtu.be/Jh6gWi3WUcY
(Past) Watch the March 18, 2021 project update provided to the Thurston County Agriculture Advisory Committee, including a presentation on the draft results from the Community Agriculture survey (final report is currently in development): https://youtu.be/B_cOdsIHcSQ
(Past) Watch the February 18, 2021 project update provided to the Thurston County Agriculture Advisory Committee, including a presentation on how Thurston County agricultural lands incentive programs work (Open Space Tax Program, Conservation Futures, and Transfer of Development Rights): https://youtu.be/EwzuXw8PFZ0
(Past) Watch the January 21, 2021 project update provided to the Thurston County Agriculture Advisory Committee, including a presentation on how agricultural lands are designated and zoned in Thurston County, and presentation and discussion of maps comparing designated lands to other data sources about local farmland: https://youtu.be/n8vbRqKU1Js
(Past) Watch a November 25, 2020 presentation and discussion with the Board of County Commissioners on regional agricultural economic development here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8OcL6K3MIA
(Past) Watch a discussion about current Thurston County Agriculture Programs and Policies with the Thurston County Agriculture Advisory Committee at their November 19, 2020 meeting here: https://youtu.be/55DH51RmDKY
(Past) Watch the October 15, 2020 project update provided to the Thurston County Agriculture Advisory Committee, including discussion of a future mapping project and development of a community survey here: https://youtu.be/9jfo6yB80-o
(Past) Watch the September 17, 2020 project kick-off meeting with the Thurston County Agriculture Advisory Committee, including presentations from county staff, American Farmland Trust, and the Community Farmland Trust here: https://youtu.be/2LlTwLt-wRs
Thurston County Comprehensive Plan
Thurston County Open Space Tax Program
Thurston County Conservation Futures Program
Thurston County Transfer of Development Rights Program
WSU-Extension
Voluntary Stewardship Program