The public will have a chance to comment on a new fee that will raise money for the Whidbey Island Conservation District.

The proposed assessment will charge property owners a $5 fee per parcel they own plus an additional 5 cents an acre per year for the next 10 years. That fee will bring in an estimated $240,000 and provide the conservation district with a stable funding source.

The Board of Island County Commissioners will hold a public hearing Wednesday, Oct. 14, 6 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Hearing Room, Courthouse Annex Building in Coupeville.

The county commissioners are the entity responsible to decide whether to approve or reject the tax.