King County Council should continue to fund the Conservation District | Letter

Published 2:21 pm Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Editor’s note: This letter was received before the King County Council voted on its 2013 budget.

The King County Council is reviewing the budget and may be considering not funding the King Conservation District (www.kcd.org).

I believe they should continue to include the King Conservation District program in our King County budget. They provide an extremely valuable service to the county (and the planet) by educating and encouraging King County private property landowners on land management best practices.

They offer a service that is not duplicated anywhere else in the County.

As an owner of horses I am aware that there are many ways to manage horse properties and I have experienced how the King Conservation District has been responsible for educating people in creating properties that provide a better quality environment on a daily basis.

These efforts benefit the entire County. Their classes in manure management, surface water management, pasture management and stream side management and their on-site technical assistance have caused many horse (and other livestock) owners that I know to do a better job of managing their properties. Even old cowboys and mule guys!

The adoption of responsible land management practices directly benefits the quality of the environment in King County.

Other KCD programs, including native plant sales, also increase the level of participation in the stewardship of our region.

King County does not have a better resource than the King Conservation District when it comes to helping land owners manage their properties in a responsible way. The benefit to the region is very much greater than the cost to provide the services.

Mary Kane,

Maple Valley