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King County executive wants to spend an additional $63 million for land conservation

King County Executive Dow Constantine wants to triple the amount the county is investing in its greenspaces.
Credit: KING

A proposal by King County Executive Dow Constantine would triple the amount the county is spending on land conservation. 

Constantine announced legislation to invest up to $63.8 million on 61 open space projects this year and in early 2020. The proposal is pending and relies on authorization from the county council and voters renewing the King County Parks Levy in August. 

The county spent about $20 million to protect 40 open space projects in 2018. 

“We are advancing the Land Conservation Initiative with urgency and purpose, tripling our investments for open space preservation,” Constantine said. “The legislation I am announcing today will save thousands of acres of our last, best open space lands, farmlands, forestlands, urban greenspaces, and trails. This will help ensure that all people who call King County home can enjoy the natural beauty that defines our region." 

The proposal comes about a year after Constantine launched the Land Conservation Initiative. The goal is to protect 65,000 acres of open space in King County. 

Revenue for the conservation effort would come from the Conservation Futures Tax and King County Parks Levy. 

Examples of projects included in the legislation are: finishing farmland protection; preserving Cougar Mountain forests; adding greenspace to urban areas; improving access to the regional trail network; and acquiring property near waterways, including Bear Creek, and Cedar, Green, and Tolt rivers. 

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