[Capr-announce] King Conservations District info

[Rodney McFarland]

For those of you unfamiliar with King Conservation District:

There is a good information page on their website at
http://www.kingcd.org/abo_aboutkcd.htm

King Conservation District has always been a free, voluntary, non-regulatory
service provided to anyone who wanted to know the best ways to conserve and
enhance the natural resources of their property. Unlike the environmental
evangelists, they have always had a pragmatic, real-world approach to
conservation. They have worked with farmers via voluntary farm plans that
encouraged best management practices. More recently, they have been a source
of expertise and assistance for the smaller cities in the district.

KCD has been used in recent years to funnel money to the Water Resource
Inventory Area committees who are "saving" salmon by using a communitarian
approach to reducing uses of private property. Many who gladly pay the KCD
assessment to support its traditional mission do not support the mission of
the WRIA committees who now get the lion's share of the assessment.

The King County Critical Areas Ordinance started entangling KCD in
regulatory actions by making them the official agency for CAO farm plans. If
KCD becomes just another arm of the nanny state, consuming taxes to support
ever greater bureaucracy, landowners will lose the trust they have for KCD
and they will cease to be functional. Sims, Philips, et al. are trying hard
to take over the board of supervisors or at least force them to do their
bidding. We have some good people on that board that we need to support as
they prepare for this years assessment/budget battle with King County. You
need to show up at the hearings so they know what you think are appropriate
items for them to fund with your taxes. Philips forced his budget on KCD
last year in spite of public testimony. The Attorney General has issued a
report saying that the King County Council can adjust the assessment, but
that they have no control over the budget.

Go to the hearings and you will learn lots.

Rod

-----Original Message-----
From: Greg Taylor [mailto:Greg at IslandDisc.com] 
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2006 3:51 PM
To: 'Rodney McFarland'
Subject: RE: [Capr-announce] King Conservations District Assessment

For those of us unfamiliar with this issue... Is there any back history to
this group and members, past actions, what they are supposed to do etc...
This was a great summary, but I get the feeling it just touches the tip of
the iceberg.  So any resources would be great.  I will go check the forum
later as well.  Maybe that is a good place to post extra info and should be
mentioned on announcements like this.  

Thanks!

Greg Taylor 


-----Original Message-----
From: capr-announce-bounces at lists.celestial.com
[mailto:capr-announce-bounces at lists.celestial.com] On Behalf Of Rodney
McFarland
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2006 10:10 AM
To: capr-announce at lists.celestial.com
Subject: [Capr-announce] King Conservations District Assessment


Last year the King Conservation District was able to get the legislature to
raise its assessment from $5 to $10 per parcel. The new assessment was to
fund KCD's entire budget so that they would no longer have to spend major
time and energy finding one half of their operating budget via grant money.
County council chairman Larry Philips couldn't resist the new money and
promptly hijacked the new money to continue funding the Water Resource
Inventory Area committees who were supposed to have been done and disbanded.

A recent Attorney General's opinion has found that the King County Council
has some say in the assessment but has no say in how the money is spent.
Public hearings on the assessment are once again being held. See the times
and locations listed below.

A good turnout for these hearing will send one more message to Philips, et
al. that we don't appreciate his messing with one of the few state
government agencies that landowners still trust.

Rodney McFarland, President
Citizens' Alliance for Property Rights


PUBLIC COMMENT MEETINGS

To: All King county landowners and taxpayers:
Provide your input on the KCD special assessment (currently 10 dollars per
parcel per year in King County). This special assessment is expiring in 2007
and the MKCC will likely be deciding whether or not to re-authorize or
adjust this fee.  Currently it raises 5.8 million dollars for natural
resources improvement throughout King County. Complete information will be
available at these meetings. You have 7 opportunities as well as open
comment period to make your opinion count.

Who:    Hosted by Scott Wallace, KCD Boardmember 
When:  Wed. April 26  4:00 to 7:00 pm
Where: Sammamish Valley Grange 

Who: Hosted by Bobbi Lindemulder KCD Boardmember
When: Wed. April 26 from 6:00 to 8:00pm
Where: Preston Community Center - 8625 310th Ave SE Preston 

Who: Hosted by Bill Knutsen, KCD Boardmember
When: Thurs. April 27 from 4:00 to 6:00pm
Where: City of Kent Bldg. Mill Ck. Room 525 fourth Ave N. Kent

Who: Hosted by Matt Livengood KCD Board Chair
When: Mon. May 1st 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Where: Covington Library 27100 164th SE Covington 

Who: Hosted by Richard Gelb, KCD Boardmember
When: Wed. April 26th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. 
Where: Green Lake Library - 7364 E Green Lk Dr N Seattle

Who: Hosted by Scott Wallace, KCD Boardmember
When: Tue April 25th  4:00 to 7:00 pm
Where: South Bellevue Community Ctr.  14509 SE Newport Way Bellevue

Who: Hosted by Scott Wallace, KCD Boardmenber
When: Thurs. April 27th  6:30 to 9:00 pm
Where: Shoreline Conf. Ctr.  18500 1st Ave. NE Spartan rm. Shoreline

www.kingcd.org or www.scc.wa.gov or 425-277-5581 x.105

written comments may be sent to: KCD Board of Supervisors
                                                              Attn Public
Comment
                                                             935 Powell Ave
SW # D
                                                                Renton WA
98055

or district at kingcd.org with a subject heading of public comment

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