Only $49K used for Pickard easement

Editor,

The Island County Conservation Futures Fund is a vital tool to protect and preserve our rural character in Island County.

In the March 13 Whidbey News-Times, Mr. Strowbridge wrote, in part: “Ken Pickard and his family trust received, several years back, a couple million dollars in conservation futures from Island County Commissioners Angie Homola and Helen Price Johnson.”

This statement is inaccurate and I would like to correct the record. In 2012, the county did contribute Conservation Futures Funds (CFF) for two agricultural easements on the Ken Pickard and the Pickard Family properties. However, the contribution was far less than the “couple million dollars” stated by Mr. Strowbridge.

Only $49,000 of CFF funds were used toward the total appraised value of $515,000. As is usually the case with CFF transactions, limited local dollars were leveraged ten-fold by federal and state grants and land value donations by the Pickards.

More information about CFF is available through the Island County website, or contact me at 360-679-7354.

Helen Price Johnson

Island County Commissioner