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Re: Comments on the Kittitas County 2026 Comprehensive Plan update
<br />March 2, 2026
<br />Page 3
<br />Detailed Comments on Chapter 1 Introduction.
<br />The Vision Statement should call more clearly for maintaining and enhancing
<br />the County's important agricultural industry. See page 16.
<br />Futurewise supports the vision statement on page 16. We do recommend that it be
<br />strengthened by referencing "resource lands" which are an important part of the
<br />county's economy and character. The vision statement includes "rural working
<br />lands" and "working lands" which are rural land use designations and fail to
<br />include agricultural, forest, and mineral resource lands.' We suggest that
<br />references to rural working lands and working lands be changed to "resource
<br />lands and rural working lands" "resource lands and working lands." This will
<br />better encapsulate the intent to protect the county's important agricultural, forest,
<br />and mineral resource industries as the county intends and as the Growth
<br />Management Act requires.2
<br />Clustering will not protect working farms and farmers.
<br />Page 12 of the Introduction states that agricultural clustering preserves farmland.
<br />This is not supported by peer -reviewed studies and other evidence. These papers
<br />show that cluster subdivisions do not protect working farms, farmers, or
<br />agricultural lands.3 The additional residential growth allowed on agricultural
<br />lands of long-term commercial significance increases demands for limited water
<br />and incompatibilities with agricultural uses.4 In several decisions the Western
<br />' Proposed Chapter 2 Land Use P. 22.
<br />2 RCW 36.7oA.o6o(1).
<br />3 Thomas L. Daniels, Where Does Cluster Zoning Fit in Farmland Protection? 63 JOURNAL OF THE
<br />AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION 129, 136 (1997) enclosed at the link on the last page of this letter
<br />with the filename: "JAPA Where Does Cluster Zoning Fit into Farmland Protection. pdf." The Journal
<br />of the American Planning Association is peer reviewed. Journal of the American Planning
<br />Association Instructions for authors P. 3 & P. 4 of g enclosed in an additional email with the
<br />filename: "JAPA Instructions for Authors.pdf."
<br />4 Tom Daniels, What to Do About Rural Sprawl? p. 1 of 4 (Paper Presented at The American
<br />Planning Association Conference, Seattle, WA: April 28, lggg) enclosed at the link on the last page
<br />of this letter with the filename: "Daniels What to Do About Rural Sprawl.pdf;" Hall, S.A., Adam,
<br />J.C., Yourek, M.A., Whittemore, A.M., Yorgey, G.G., Scarpare, F., Liu, M., McLarty, S., Asante-Sasu,
<br />C., McClure,S., Turk, J., Haller, D., Padowski, J., Deshar, R., Brady, M.P., Rajagopalan, K., Barber,
<br />M.E., Weber, R., Stockle, C.O., Goodspeed, H.L., Gustine, R.N., Kondal, A., Yoder, J., Deaver, B.,
<br />Downes, M., Tarbutton, S., Callahan, M., Price, P. Roberts, T., Stephens, J., and Valdez, W., 2021
<br />Washington State Legislative Report: Columbia River Basin Long -Term Water Supply and Demand
<br />Forecast P. 51 (Publication No. 21-12-Oo6, Washington Department of Ecology, Olympia, WA: 2022)
<br />last accessed on Feb. 27, 2026, at:
<br />https://apps.ecology.wa.gov/publications/SummaryPages/2ll2Oo6.html and at the link on the last
<br />page of this letter with the filename: "2112oo6.pdf."
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