Farms improve our Northwest quality of life- economically, aesthetically and environmentally. They provide our region with healthy, locally-grown food, and also many eco-system services such as groundwater recharge and buffers for ecologically sensitive areas.

Today many farmland areas are being converted to residential homes and commercial development. Each  farm lost to development pushes farming communities closer to the edge. Keeping farming viable requires not only protecting a large farming land base, but also maintaining existing systems and creating new markets which will allow agriculture to thrive.

CLC’s approach to preserving farmland has largely focused on protecting the agricultural land base through working with Local and County Governments to develop viable Purchase of Development Rights and Transfer of Development Rights programs.  We have played a technical consulting and advisory role in developing programs in Pierce and Snohomish Counties and recently helped pass state legislature sponsoring development of pilot TDR programs in these counties. In addition to working with governments to develop farmland preservation programs, CLC also works with individual farmers.  CLC's conservation work on South Prairie Creek is one example of CLC working with farmers to protect this region's agricultural heritage.