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MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT FOR LAND ACQUISITION <br /> <br /> <br />This Memorandum of Agreement ("Agreement") is entered into on this____ day of <br />__________, 2018, by and between Kittitas County, a Washington County, (“County”) <br />and Forterra, a Washington non-profit organization, (“Forterra”) (sometimes collectively <br />referred to as the “parties” or individually as a “party”) to establish the principles under <br />which the parties will endeavor to acquire a conservation easement on certain agricultural <br />property, as desired by Kittitas County. <br /> <br />WHEREAS, The County has adopted Comprehensive Plan GPO 2.1, with the goal to <br />maintain and enhance Kittitas County's natural resource industry base, including but not <br />limited to productive agriculture resources; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, The County has identified that the acquisition of conservation easements on <br />working farms and ranches is one method to support its agriculture industry base and <br />ensure that agricultural lands are not converted to incompatible uses; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, Forterra has as its mission the conservation of land with significant <br />conservation value, including the preservation of working farms and forests; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, Forterra and the County have identified that property commonly known as <br />Hairpin Ranch, legally described on Exhibit A hereto, as a valuable agricultural property; <br />and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, The County and Forterra agree that Hairpin Ranch would be a worthy <br />candidate for acquisition of a conservation easement, in support of the County’s natural <br />resource industry goals and other land use and economic interests of the County; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, Forterra has begun negotiations with the owners of Hairpin Ranch and the <br />owners are willing sellers of a conservation easement provided the purchase price is <br />acceptable to them; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, Forterra has pursued and secured a grant award under a state farmland <br />preservation programs for funding to conserve the land, and Forterra and the County have <br />a joint application pending for a matching grant award under a federal farmland <br />preservation program; and <br /> <br />WHEREAS, The parties desire to establish an agreed arrangement under which Forterra <br />continues to serve as project and grant applicant lead and otherwise takes the project all <br />the way through closing of the purchase and sale of a conservation easement on and over <br />Hairpin Ranch. and the County signs on as a co-applicant with Forterra on the state grant <br />and ultimately serves as co-holder of the conservation easement with primary easement <br />monitoring responsibilities as further detailed in this Agreement. <br /> <br />NOW, THEREFORE, The County and Forterra agree as follows: