Thurston County commissioners are pondering whether or not to use funds raised through the Conservation Futures Program to pay for the habitat conservation plan for the Mazama pocket gopher or to instead use it to fund other conservation efforts in the county.
The county raises funds through a property tax at the rate of 4.6 cents for $1,000 of assessed value.
The county could use the funds raised through this tax to fund the habitat conservation plan easements for the gopher or other endangered species, according to a staff report. However, if funds are used for that purpose, less will be available for other habitat conservation projects.
Another option is for the county to direct those funds toward other conservation projects in the county, which would leave uncertainty for the plan.
The county awards projects with money from the fund based on applications. In May, the commissioners suspended the award process for 2018 to explore the possibility of using this source to fund the habitat easements.
