- How many acres of land in Clark County are protected?
- What is the Legacy Lands Program?
- What type of land does the program protect?
- Who decides what land to purchase?
- Who pays for the land?
- Can I donate or sell my land to the county?
- What happens after the land is purchased?
- How many acres of land in Clark County are protected?
Clark County is fortunate to have almost 80,000 acres of natural areas that are managed by public agencies for natural resources and recreation. Major landowners include the Washington Department of Natural Resources (60,000 acres), the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (3,067 acres), the US Fish and Wildlife Service (6,243 acres), the Gifford Pinchot National Forest (1,239 acres), and Clark County/Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation (7,433 acres). - What is the Legacy Lands Program?
The program works with public agencies, non-profit conservation organizations, private landowners and the community to establish, restore, and maintain an interconnected system of parks, natural areas, trails and open spaces that:
- Contributes to our economy and tourism.
- Preserves natural areas for wildlife habitat and recreation.- Enhances our air and water quality.
- Promotes health, fitness and personal well-being.
- Connects our communities with trails and greenways.
- Supports an ecologically sustainable metropolitan region. - What type of land does the program protect?
Lands with highly valued habitat, scenic corridors, low-impact recreation, farm and forest lands and other qualities that enhance our local environment are purchased and protected by the Legacy Lands Program. - Who decides what land to purchase?
A conservation areas acquisition advisory committee periodically meets to advise the Board of Clark County Commissioners on land purchasing priorities. Current priorities are identified in the Conservation Areas Acquisition Plan adopted by the board of commissioners in December 2004. - Who pays for the land?
Resources from a variety of public agencies and non-profit conservation organizations are pooled to achieve Legacy Lands objectives. The primary county revenue source is the conservation futures levy. The county has also been very successful in attracting grant funds. Since the levy was initiated in 1985, every dollar of local funds has been matched by approximately 80 cents of grant funding. - Can I donate or sell my land to the county?
Yes, if the county believes it is in a position to accept management responsibility for the land. - What happens after the land is purchased?
Master Plans or management plans are adopted for major conservation landholdings. They identify the management objectives for the property and the public access and use improvements that will be constructed when resources are available.
