Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutWORKSHOP JLT RCO apps Updated 070226 QWC maps 1 JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS GENDA REQUEST TO: Board of County Commissioners FROM: Josh D. Peters, County Administrator DATE: July 6, 2026 SUBJECT: WORKSHOP re: Jurisdictional Conferral – Jefferson Land Trust RCO Grant Applications 26-1308 and 26-1311 STATEMENT OF ISSUE: Jefferson Land Trust (JLT) is applying for grant funding through the state Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) to acquire and permanently protect additional properties within the Quimper Wildlife Corridor in Port Townsend. JLT also plans to submit an additional funding application to permanently protect 61 acres of farmland in Chimacum with a conservation easement. Two letters from JLT with more details about these respective projects are attached. ANALYSIS: To meet grant program requirements, JLT must confer with local officials about these proposed projects prior to July 15, 2026. JLT staff has offered to present at a BoCC meeting to outline project goals and respond to any questions or recommendations county officials may have. JLT Conservation Coordinator Marlowe Moser contacted the county via email on April 27, 2026, regarding these prospective applications. FISCAL IMPACT: N/A RECOMMENDATION: Hear the presentation and ask questions. REVIEWED BY: ______________________________________ ________________ Josh D. Peters, County Administrator Date 7/1/2026 JEFFERSON LAND TRUST Helping the community preserve open space, working lands and habitat forever 1033 Lawrence Street, Port Townsend WA 98368 360.379.9501 info@saveland.org www.saveland.org Jefferson Land Trust is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit, tax-exempt, private corporation. April 27, 2026 Subject: Notice of Grant Application #26-1311 to the Recreation & Conservation Office Honorable Commissioners: We are writing to inform you that Jefferson Land Trust is applying for a grant through the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP) Farmland Preservation account to permanently protect property located in the Center Valley of Chimacum. If awarded, this grant funding would allow acquisition of a conservation easement on a 61-acre farm property. This property was once part of the historic Brown Dairy Farm, which operated in Chimacum from 1956 to 2002. Although the original dairy is no longer in operation and the property has been reduced from its original size, this project will secure permanent protection of the remaining farm acreage. Jefferson Land Trust seeks to protect the West Valley Farm to ensure its availability for agricultural productivity in our county, in perpetuity. State law, RCW 79A.15.110, requires that we notify the local legislative body of our intent to apply for a state grant to acquire real property from the WWRP, administered by the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO). This letter is your notification. The law states that the local legislative authority may, at its discretion, submit a letter to the RCO identifying its position with regard to the acquisition project. As you may know, Jefferson Land Trust has been collaborating with local partners Jefferson County, WSU-Extension, Jefferson County Conservation District, the Food Co-op, North Olympic Development Council, state agencies, the Navy, and many more to protect farmland throughout Jefferson County since the early 2000s. Our grant application in 2026 is Jefferson Land Trust’s next step in continuing efforts to protect working lands, local economy, and habitat within our county. If you choose to send a letter to RCO, they will be made available to the governor and the state legislature when the prioritized project list is submitted as part of the RCO’s capital budget request. A supporting letter from you could make a big impact on the success of our RCO application for protecting this important agricultural heritage property. The law also states that we must “confer” with local officials on this acquisition. And to meet grant program deadlines, we must complete this prior to July 15, 2026. Please let me know how we can schedule a time to be on one of your meeting agendas to discuss any questions that you all may have about this project. Enclosed is the application project description, location map, and parcel map of the proposed project. Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional information about this proposed conservation easement in Jefferson County. I can be reached at 360-379-9501 x 101 or sspaeth@saveland.org. Sincerely, Director of Conservation and Strategic Partnerships, Jefferson Land Trust For reference: West Valley Farm Jefferson Land Trust is applying on behalf of West Valley Farm to protect 61 acres of farmland and riparian habitat located in Center Valley in Chimacum, Jefferson County. The primary goals of this project are to protect approximately 57.2 acres of farmland and 3.6 acres of riparian and wetland habitat. This property was once part of the historic Brown Dairy Farm, which operated in Chimacum from 1956-2002. Although the original dairy is no longer in operation and the property has been reduced from its original size, this project will secure permanent protection of the remaining farm acreage. The first portion of the original dairy farm was protected by Jefferson Land Trust in 2009 with funding from RCO grant #08-1214. This proposal combines acquisition and restoration components. The acquisition will secure a perpetual agricultural conservation easement on the property. Restoration efforts will include installation of permanent fencing to protect sensitive riparian and wetland areas from agricultural impacts, including along Chimacum Creek. This creek provides critical habitat for ESA-listed Hood Canal summer chum and winter steelhead, as well as coho salmon. The 61-acre farm is currently used for cattle grazing and the production of high-quality hay. The conservation easement will ensure the land remains available for agricultural use in perpetuity while providing financial support to the landowners, enabling expansion and long-term viability of their farming operations. RCW 79A.15.110 Review of proposed project application. State or local agencies or nonprofit nature conservancies shall review the proposed project application and confer with the county or city with jurisdiction over the project area prior to applying for funds for the acquisition of property under this chapter. The appropriate county or city legislative authority may, at its discretion, submit a letter to the board identifying the authority's position with regard to the acquisition project. The board shall make the letters received under this section available to the governor and the legislature when the prioritized project list is submitted under this chapter. RCW 79A.15.010 "Confer" means a dialogue between project sponsors and local county and city officials with the purpose of early review of potential projects. The dialogue may include any matter relevant to a particular project, which may include but need not be limited to: Project purpose and scope; project elements; estimated project cost; costs and benefits to the community; plans for project management and maintenance; and public access. West Valley Farm Locator Map West Valley Farm Property Jefferson Land Trust Preserves Jefferson Land Trust Conservation Easements D Jefferson Co. Tax Parcels 0 1.000 2,000 4,000 E=3::==E=====3Feet 2021 Aerial Image (NAIP) For informational purposes only. All data represented are from varying sources and approximate. Map created in December 2024 April 27, 2026 Subject: Notice of intent to Acquire and Protect Property in Port Townsend RCO Grant Application #26-1308 Dear Jefferson County Commissioners, I am writing to inform you that Jefferson Land Trust is applying for a grant through the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) to acquire property located within the City of Port Townsend. If awarded this grant, the Land Trust will be able to acquire about 26.4 additional acres in the Quimper Wildlife Corridor, including approximately 15.7 acres of rights of way for which the City indicated support of potential vacation in Resolution 26-006. These acquisitions will conserve connected wildlife habitat and popular public trail corridors within the area (commonly referred to as Cappy’s Trails) which as been formally defined as a Future Park in the City of Port Townsend’s 2025 Comprehensive Plan. State law, Revised Code of Washington 79A.15.110, requires that we notify the local legislative body of our intent to apply for a state grant administered by RCO to acquire real property. This letter is your notification of Jefferson Land Trust’s intent to apply for grant funding. The law states that the local legislative authority may, at its discretion, submit a letter to the RCO identifying its position about the acquisition project. As you likely know, Jefferson Land Trust has been collaborating with the City of Port Townsend and Jefferson County around the Quimper Wildlife Corridor protection since the early 1990s. This grant application in 2026 builds upon these decades of successful protection efforts and seeks to strengthen connectivity between already protected areas to provide a permanent, contiguous natural area for habitat and recreation. If you choose to send a letter to RCO, they will be made available to the governor and the state legislature when the prioritized project list is submitted as part of the RCO’s capital budget request in 2027. A supporting letter from you could make a big impact on the success of our RCO application for protecting more of the Quimper Wildlife Corridor/Cappy’s Trails that our community benefits from. The law also states that we must confer with local officials on this acquisition, and to meet grant program deadlines we must complete this before July 15, 2026. Jefferson Land Trust staff are happy to present at a Board of County Commissioner’s meeting to discuss the goals of this project and answer any questions or recommendations you may have. Enclosed is the application project description, location map, and parcel map of the proposed project, including the geographic envelope of the proposed project. Please let me know if you have any questions or need more information about this acquisition proposal. I can be reached at (360) 379-9501 ext. 101 or sspaeth@saveland.org. Sincerely, Sarah Spaeth Director of Conservation and Strategic Partnerships, Jefferson Land Trust For reference: Quimper Wildlife Corridor Phase 3 Project Description Jefferson Land Trust seeks acquisition funds to support Phase 3 of the Quimper Wildlife Corridor (QWC) project. In northeast Jefferson County, the QWC project area spans 3.5-miles of native forest and wetlands across the northern Quimper Peninsula and provides habitat and safe passage for over 130 bird species and a wide range of other wildlife. Within a rapidly developing urban growth area the QWC also functions as a natural stormwater management system and hosts a popular 7-mile network of multi-modal trails that allows nearby residents and visitors to engage with nature and enjoy hiking, running, biking, and horseback riding between neighborhoods. Land in the QWC is divided into hundreds of small individually owned lots, many with unexercised development rights and right of way access, due to historic platting created in the 1800s. Since conservation efforts began in the early 1990s, Jefferson Land Trust, the City of Port Townsend, and Jefferson County have worked with private landowners in multiple phases to permanently protect 336 acres in the QWC project area. After recent outreach, 26 owners of a total of 10.7 acres of priority forest habitat have expressed interest in permanent protection, and the Land Trust is also working to vacate and protect 15.7 acres of priority forested rights of way. Funding for these Phase 3 acquisitions would allow us to permanently preserve broad forested connectivity between protected wetland habitats and conserve existing public trails. Revised Code of Washington 79A.15.110 Review of proposed project application. State or local agencies or nonprofit nature conservancies shall review the proposed project application and confer with the county or city with jurisdiction over the project area prior to applying for funds for the acquisition of property under this chapter. The appropriate county or city legislative authority may, at its discretion, submit a letter to the board identifying the authority's position with regard to the acquisition project. The board shall make the letters received under this section available to the governor and the legislature when the prioritized project list is submitted under this chapter. Revised Code of Washington 79A.15.010 "Confer" means a dialogue between project sponsors and local county and city officials with the purpose of early review of potential projects. The dialogue may include any matter relevant to a particular project, which may include but need not be limited to: Project purpose and scope; project elements; estimated project cost; costs and benefits to the community; plans for project management and maintenance; and public access. y F I ELi- �111 i !F if Wiwi room Geographic Envelope Wetlands Parcels to acquire within the scope of Grant #26-1308 100 Year Floodplain Rights of way to acquire within the scope of Grant #26-1308 Jefferson Land Trust Ownership Other rights of way proposed for vacation Other Permanently Protected Lands Quimper Wildlife Corridor Phase 3 #26-1308 Multi -Site Acquisition 0:1d ,�4ZOPPAA Existing Trails Tax Parcels City of Port Townsend 0 500 1000 2,000 F= Feet Map created in June 2026 For informational purposes only. All data represented are from varying sources and approximate. 2023 Aerial Image (NAI P) N Ji Geographic Envelope Parcels to acquire within the scope of Grant #26-1308 Rights of way to acquire within the scope of Grant #26-1308 Other rights of way proposed for vacation - Jefferson Land Trust Ownership Jefferson Land Trust Conservation Easements Other Permanently Protected Lands n Public Parks 100 Year Floodplain Existing Trails City of Port Townsend Quimper Wildlife Corridor Phase 3 #26-1308 Site Location 0 1,750 3,500 7,000 F= Feet Map created in June 2026 For informational purposes only. All data represented are from varying sources and approximate. 2023 Aerial Image (NAI P) N