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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 9 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, 1999) 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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