With the Skagit County commissioners’ unanimous vote on Tuesday, the proposed agritourism regulations that sparked much debate will be finally written into the county’s code.

The new code defines agritourism as a range of educational and experiential activities that are subordinate and directly connected to an ongoing agricultural operation. These activities help preserve, promote and keep working lands in production by diversifying the incomes of farmers and ranchers.

The code also introduces three levels of agritourism. Activities with up to 50 guests per day and running no more than 10 days per year are classified as Agritourism 1 and don’t require a permit. Activities running for up to 35 days per year with a maximum of 100 guests at each event fall in the Agritourism 2 category and need an administrative special use permit. For the larger and more frequent Agritourism 3 activities, guest and day limits are set by a hearing examiner special use permit.

To qualify for Agritourism 2 and 3 permits, the operator must prove that the primary agricultural use generated an average gross income of at least $500 per acre per year over the previous three years.

Restaurants, music venues, concerts, weddings, parties and any regularly occurring celebratory gatherings that cause the property to act as an event venue are prohibited in the Agricultural-Natural Resources Zone. U-picks and farmstands will continue to be allowed.

Luisa Loi is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.