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Indicator: Acres of Protected Land and Water

Data and Data Discussion provided by King County DNRP

Priority Greenprint Acres Acquired, King County

Rural Acres in Land Management Program, King County

Rural Acres in Conservation Status, King County

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Upstream Indicators
  •   Urbanization and Impervious Surface Changes --- The number of acres of urban land, clear-cut, and regenerating forest have increased in King County since 1986. Acres of grass and deciduous, mixed and coniferous forest have decreased. Acres of rural forests and privately owned working forests have declined in recent years  (view data graph)
  •   Planned Density --- From 1996-2000 to 2002-2004, residential densities increased in King County. The 2004 density of 6.4 lots per acre for King County as a whole exceeds the benchmark of six lots per acre.  (view data graph)
  •   Shoreline Armoring --- There are increasing levels of riprap and sea walls being installed on Puget Sound shorelines. Conclusions from a baseline survey for shoreline armoring in 2005 show that many beach-feeding sediment sources have been locked up behind armoring.   (view data graph)
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Downstream Indicators
  •   Wild Salmon --- Many of Puget Sound's salmon stocks have experienced substantial declines over the past 50-100 years due to overfishing, dams, and habitat degradation. Although the number of mature, adult chinook salmon returning to their stream of origin were almost twice in 2006 as high as 2005 levels, they comprised only 25 percent of the long-term chinook population target.  (view data graph)
  •   Threatened and Endangered Species --- Limited historical data exists. However, the rate of global species extinction has accelerated over the past century. Steps are being taken to curtail the rate of species decline in our region, but populations of species intolerant to human development are expected to decline as our region grows.  
  •   Stream Health --- Baseline data collected in 2002 and 2003. Insufficient data is available for determining a sustainability trend at this time.   (view data graph)
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Related Goals

Sustainability Snapshot:

The survival of our bioregion and the species that depend on its ecosystems requires conservation of individual habitat sites as well as protection at the ecosystem scale. Protecting existing habitat and the ecological processes that create it is the most important action needed in the short-term to increase ecosystem regeneration. Protection measures include land acquisition, wilderness/park designation, regulation, and landowner stewardship.

Data Discussion

The Indicator Defined

Percentage of land and water areas (e.g., marine reserves) that are protected through regulation, purchase, conservation easement, and land management. The protected land measure combines: * The percentage of privately owned rural acres with a stewardship plan or that is enrolled in an open space incentive program. This includes farm, forest or rural stewardship plans, or enrollment in the Public Benefit Rating System for timber land, forest and agriculture. * The percentage of public and private rural acres in permanent conservation. This includes those with conservation easements or land that is owned by a public agency. * The percentage of total acres acquired by King County in 2007, through both fee simple agreements and easements (excluding those received by Transfer of Development Credits Program) that are medium-high or high priority lands. For all of these measures, rural acres refer to all rural and agriculture zoned land, including Vashon Island and excluding the Forest Production District.

Data Interpretation/Evaluation

Rural acres with stewardship plan or enrolled in open space incentive program:

  • 2007 Results: 29.82 percent
  • 2007 target: 29 percent

Rural acres in permanent conservation

  • 2007 Results: 21.99 percent
  • 2007 target: 22 percent

High to medium-high priority lands acquired

  • 2007 Results: 90.7 percent
  • 2007 target: = 80 percent

Data Source and Limitations

Data for the protected water measure is under development. 

Data for the protected land measure is from the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) .  See KINGSTAT Environmental Services Performance Measures.  (http://www.metrokc.gov/dnrp/measures/performance/es-land-resource-conservation.aspx)

Because the incremental change of rural acres in stewardship and permanent conservation status are small, targets are being converted from percentages of total rural acreage to actual acreage enrolled or conserved. The third acquisition measure will retain its target of 80 percent per year. Here are the new targets:

  • Rural acres with stewardship plan or enrolled in open space incentive program: 2500 acres per year
  • Rural acres in permanent conservation: 500 acres per year
  • High to medium-high priority lands acquired per year: 80 percent

 

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