Climate Change

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Presentation for Skagit County TDR
Stakeholder Committee June 19, 2012
Introduction to Transfer of Development Rights
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Forterra

• Forterra is Washingtons largest independent land
  conservation, community-building, and stewardship
  organization
• Conserved over 175,000 acres using market-based
  approaches
• Experience with 9 TDR programs in WA

Creating Great Communities, Conserving Great Lands
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Forterra

• Forterras role in the Skagit TDR Project
• Technical advisor
• Strategic guidance
• Assist with design of the market study

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The Big Picture

• Farming, forestry and fishing have defined this
  region for over 100 years.

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Habitat Ecosystem Services
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What is TDR?

• Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) is
• A market-based real estate tool
• Connects conservation with growth
• Flexible and can be applied to address local
  conditions

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Basics of TDR

• Property rights are more than just physical
  property
• Development potential can be separated and
  transferred

Timber rights
Access
Agriculture
Physical ground

• Property Rights

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Basics of TDR
Development Rights
Development rights severed from property
Conservation Easement Recorded
Receiving Area
Sending Area
Dollars
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The Basic Ingredients

• 1. Sending Sites
• Supply of development rights
• 2. Receiving Sites
• Demand for development rights
• 3. The Marketplace
• Where and how transactions occur

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How TDR Works

• 1. Sending-site landowner
• Development rights removed
• Receives for transferring development rights
• Retains ownership
• Retains other property rights
• Conservation easement

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How TDR Works

• 2. Receiving-site landowner
• Buys development rights
• Receives a value-added incentive
• (Density, FAR, height, parking, etc.)

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How TDR Works

• 3. The Marketplace
• Policy objectives
• TDR program regulations
• Information clearinghouse

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Keys to program success

• Clear conservation goals
• Tangible benefits
• Transparent
• Simple transaction process
• Appropriate incentives
• Understanding of the market

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TDR in Skagit County

• Conservation What types of land does the county
  want to conserve?
• Growth Where and how does the county want to
  encourage growth?
• Context What are the current development
  pressures on lands?
• Administration How involved does the county want
  to be?
• Market How does the program encourage
  participation?

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TDR in Skagit County
The Envision Skagit 2060 Citizens Committee has
developed this vision and set of recommendations
for what we believe todays Skagit County
residents want Skagit County to be like in
2060and what we should do now to help bring that
about.
The essence of our recommendations is to steer
new growth into cities to avoid development in
rural farmland, floodplains, forest lands and
wildlife habitat. We cannot continue to sprawl as
we have and preserve what the people of Skagit
County most value.
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• TDR in Skagit County

• Envision Skagit is a start
• Protect Ag, Forest, environmental resources, and
  rural character
• Transfer to urban areas
• Complement the Farmland Legacy Program

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Example Kittitas County

• Kittitas County wants to retain its rural culture
• Interested in market-based options not regulating
• Adopted its TDR program December 2009

Kittitas County
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TDR Program Goals

• Primary goals
• Conserve working lands
• Promote development in areas appropriate for
  growth
• Objectives
• Growth is responsibly planned
• Property rights are protected
• Rural landowners are fairly compensated

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Facts and figures

• The county is home to 900 farms covering nearly
  200,000 acres
• Drivers grass hay, cereal grain, and livestock
• Timothy hay industry est. 30 million annually
• Kittitas County has153,000 acres of private
  forestlands
• Harvest volumes have declined since 2000
• Still,13 million board feet harvested in 2007

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Growth Has Occurred
Kittitas County Population Growth (1900-2009)
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2000-2009
Sources US Census Bureau, WA Office of
Financial Management
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Growth Is Expected
Kittitas County Population Growth (2010 - 2030)
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Estimates WA Office of Financial Management
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Program Development
Additional outreach / research 5/08-7/08
Conservation Workshop 1/10
Established Goals and Scope9/07
Public Comments4/08-5/08
Updated Report 5/09
Market Analysis Supplement 9/08
2009
2010
2008
9/07
1/10
Final Report Recommendations 7/08
Presentation to BOCC 5/09
Community outreach 10/072/08
TDR Program Adopted 12/09
Presentations to BOCC 4/08-5/08
Public Comments 5/09
Public Workshops 9/09
Draft Recommendations Report 4/08
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Program Framework
Sending Sites

• Irrigated Farms
• Working Forests
• Cities
• Urban Growth Areas
• Planned Communities
• Master Planned Resorts
• Planned Unit Developments
• Approved Rural Development
• Rezones
• Clusters

Receiving Sites
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Transfer Example Parker Ranch

• 1500-acre forested range, family-owned property
• Forterra purchased 24 TDR credits from 480 acres
• Ranch continues operation, pine forest conserved
• TDR Credits remain for sale

Photo Yakima Herald-Republic
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www.cascadeland.org
Thank you
Taylor Carroll Program Manager Policy Department
[phone] tcarroll_at_forterra.org
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New Map1
Tacoma
Puget Sound
Puyallup River
Prime Farmland
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New Map2
Tacoma
Puget Sound
Puyallup River
Prime Farmland?
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New Map3
Tacoma
Puget Sound
Puyallup River
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TDR in the Central Cascades
Communities throughout the region are investing
in TDR

• Kittitas County
• Ellensburg
• Pierce County
• Tacoma
• Puyallup
• Snohomish County
• Arlington
• Everett
• Mountlake Terrace
• Snohomish

• King County
• Bellevue
• Black Diamond
• Issaquah
• Normandy Park
• Redmond
• Sammamish
• Seattle
• Kitsap County
• Bainbridge Island
• Port Orchard