FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CLC opposes Initiative 933

The Cascade Land Conservancy Board of Directors took the unusual step in July of opposing a fall ballot measure – the first time in its history that the CLC has taken a position in an election.

The Board voted to oppose Initiative 933 by the two-thirds majority required under CLC bylaws.  The conservancy opposed the initiative, called the “property rights” initiative, after staff analysis showed that it had the potential to dramatically and negatively affect the Conservancy’s conservation efforts.

Initiative 933 affects the enforcement of environmental rules which would require state and local governments to pay landowners for claims of lowered property values due to zoning or environmental rules or not enforce the rules.

An analysis of the initiative by the CLC staff found that the initiative would likely create “chaos” in well-established land use rules and values that have contributed to our regional quality of life.  Without a firm base of property values and land-use regulations, the CLC’s work with landowners, timber companies, developers and others would become extremely difficult.

The Board action makes it clear that the Cascade Land Conservancy supports landowners’ efforts to make a living off the land.  The Conservancy will continue to have faith in the region’s private landowners who are good stewards of farmlands, forests and open space lands.

The CLC also supports market-based incentives that encourage conservation while compensating landowners fairly – a principal goal of The Cascade Agenda and its visionary program.

The Conservancy will seek to create a coalition of like-minded individuals and organizations who see the initiative as a poorly written and flawed attempt to answer a real problem facing the region.

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