Advancing Sustainability at the Local Level Alison Van Gorp and Jeremy Eckert Cascade Land...

Advancing Sustainability at the Local LevelAlison Van Gorp and Jeremy Eckert

Cascade Land Conservancy

WE KNOW IT IS EARLY, BUT YOU SHOULD STAY AWAKE

BECAUSE

• Sustainability is on everyone’s mind

• You can take simple steps today to become a more sustainable city/county

CONSERVING GREAT LANDSCREATING GREAT COMMUNITIES

Our Services

Cascade Agenda Vision

Looking long• 100 years forward…

Thinking broad• Sustain a strong regional

economy• Promote livable

communities• Ensure healthy ecosystems

Cascade Agenda Approach

Public Engagement• 3,500 stakeholders

• 460 classrooms

• 100+ elected officials

• Over 50 experts in science and economics

• More than 100 practitioners

• Ongoing outreach and expert engagement

Shoreline & The Sound

Growth is Happening

Graphic courtesy of PSRC Vision 2040

… but we have a choice about how it happens

CURRENT LAND USE

Seattle

Tacoma

Everett

King County

Kittitas County Pierce County

Snohomish County

Seattle

Tacoma

Everett

King County

Kittitas County Pierce County

Snohomish County

2100 ALTERNATIVE FUTURE

Seattle

Tacoma

Everett

King County

Kittitas County Pierce County

Snohomish County

2100 “PLANNING” FUTURE

New Map1TacomaTacoma

Puyallup River

Puyallup River

Prime FarmlandPrime Farmland

Puget SoundPuget Sound

Well Planned GrowthWell Planned Growth

TacomaTacoma

Puyallup River

Puyallup River

Prime FarmlandPrime Farmland ? ?

Puget SoundPuget Sound

Poorly Planned GrowthPoorly Planned Growth

Additional Concerns

• High housing costs

• Increasing congestion

• Rising fuel costs

• Climate change

Save our landscape• 1 million acres private

forests and farms• 265,000 acres parks,

natural areas, shorelines

Enhance our communities

• Smart community planning• Spectacular parks & public

places

Cascade Agenda Goals

100 years forward…

New Marketplaces are Needed

• The Cascade Agenda has a $7 billion price tag.

• It will take us 350 years to accomplish the Cascade Agenda with current conservation funding.

Available FundingFunding Needed$20

mill

ion

$7 b

illio

n

Development Rights

Funding for resource land protection

Development rights severed

from property

with conservati

on easement

Sending Area

Receiving Area

Transfer of Development Rights:

Putting profit into sustainability

tTDR Program Models

TDR Success

Sugarloaf Olive 8

– 284 acres preserved – 31 rural DR’s purchased for

$930,000 – Added 62,000 sq ft

residential – 300 ft height bonus

Legislative Backdrop

State

– RCW 36.70A.090 (authorizing TDR)

– RCW 43.362 (establishing a regional TDR program)

TDR Programs in Washington

• Existing programs include:

• King County (1998/2001)– Redmond (1997)– Issaquah (2005)– Seattle (1998/2001)

• Kitsap County (2006)– Bainbridge Island (1996)

• Pierce County (2007)• Snohomish (2004/2008)

– Arlington (2004)

The City of Black Diamond

What We’re Doing• Helping cities and

counties develop TDR programs / projects– Pierce County (2007)– Black Diamond (2005)– Snoqualmie

Preservation Initiative (2003)

– In Process: Kittitas County, Tacoma, Sammamish

• Encouraging the formation of a regional TDR marketplace

Contact Jeremy Eckert:

jeremye@cascadeland.org

206-905-6910

Growth is Happening

Enhancing Our Communities:

The Cascade Agenda Cities Program

Cascade Agenda Cities Program

COMPACT

COMPLETE

CONNECTED

How Do We Get There?

Manage Growth

• Make it easier to build in cities

• Invest infrastructure dollars wisely

Create Housing Choices

• Add housing choices and affordability

• Build most new homes in walkable neighborhoods near transit

Invest in Our Communities

• Make strategic public investments

• Support important community assets– Arts/culture– Civic spaces– Parks & trails

How Cities Join the Program

Member Cities• Pass a resolution• Designate primary staff contact

Leadership Cities• MOU between City and CLC• Designate staff contact• Create interdepartmental team• Participate in learning network• Annual membership fee

What We’re Doing

• Urban livability reports

• Policy R&D• Peer learning

network• Targeted outreach• Public education and

advocacy• Cascade Agenda

Coalition

Contact Alison Van Gorp:

alisonv@cascadeland.org

206-905-6892

Thank You!

CONSERVING GREAT LANDSCREATING GREAT COMMUNITIES

Alison Van Gorp Jeremy Eckertalisonv@cascadeland.orgjeremye@cascadeland.org

Conserved nearly 150,000 acres relying on market based strategies.

Conservation Transactions

Advancing Sustainability at the Local LevelAlison Van Gorp and Jeremy Eckert

Cascade land Conservancy