On Earth Day, Skagit County Commissioners unanimously approved a $200,000 option agreement that would give the county the sole right, over the next two-and-a-half years, to purchase nearly 600 acres of farmland and estuary southeast of La Conner, near the mouth of the Skagit River’s North Fork.
The $12.5 million parcel, known as Haller Farm or Chamberlain Farm, includes the culturally significant Fishtown area and top-ranked habitat for Chinook salmon recovery, as well as some of the county’s most fertile farmland.
“This property is some of the best farmland in the county,” said Will Honea, Skagit County’s senior civil prosecuting attorney, who presented the proposal before a public hearing.
Honea emphasized that the option will allow the county to collaborate with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, local dike and drainage districts, and other stakeholders to assess the land and pursue funding for full acquisition.
“We’re not in the farming business or the land speculation business,” Honea said. “It’s to bring the community together.”
Commissioner Ron Wesen said the site could benefit flood mitigation efforts, agriculture, and fish habitat. “We all need to work together, and this is the kind of project that does that,” he said.
It is also the site of the majority of what is considered the top-ranked Skagit Chinook recovery project on the Skagit River estuary.
Honea said that the property had been put up for sale and the county felt it was important to secure an acquisition option with the intent of collaborating with the tribes and other entities to protect farming, enhance fisheries, and mitigate flooding in the area.
Honea said the option agreement will provide time for the county, tribes, and various diking and drainage districts to work together to conduct due diligence and secure funding to purchase the property outright.
While conceding that “we don’t have the money for the whole $12.5 million,” Skagit County Commissioner Ron Wesen supported taking out the option because of its potential to address flood control and benefit farming and fishing on the property and its surrounding environs.
Wesen joined Honea and others in praising the Chamberlain family for its devoted stewardship of the acreage.
Commissioner Peter Browning said he was glad the Fishtown area—long home to artists and important to Skagit tribes—could be preserved.
Former La Conner School District Superintendent Norm Hoffman, now a director with the Skagit Drainage and Irrigation Districts Consortium, said the land offers an opportunity for collaborative land use. “It’s important to work together to create win-win situations,” he told commissioners.
Supporters also included Daryl Hamburg, director of operations for Dike District 17, and William Roozen, a commissioner with Drainage and Irrigation Improvement District 19. Roozen called the agreement “a first step toward county, tribal, and local governments working together collaboratively to preserve farming and fisheries here for generations to come.”
All but one speaker supported the plan.
A Sedro-Woolley resident opposed the option, citing concerns about potential tax increases and arguing the private sector should handle the sale. No commissioners echoed that view.
The agreement gives the county until late 2027 to conduct due diligence and identify funding sources to purchase the land outright.
Bill Reynolds: bill@laconnercommunitynews.org. Bill is a general assignment reporter who covers Town government, schools, and spot news.
