An oldtimer's perspective on the buyer's excise tax

Posted 10/11/05

by R. W. Robinson

I have a different perspective on the proposed "SAVE THE FARMLAND' via conservation easements, based on personal experience.

In 1946, my parent bought 35-plus acres as a working farm northwest of Sequim. My father and I operated it until 1980, after his eyesight failed and arthritis slowed me down to where I could no longer do the work. The last acre we sold was for $13,000. That was 20 years ago. The latest acre sold was for six times as much.

I am glad we did not have conservation easements, that would have enabled one to continue in farming. Conservation easements are a bet against continued inflation, which is follhardy in light of what's happening. Also, it bets on the profitability of farming, which is a long shot at best. That land is the farmer's livelihood and retirement system, in spite of the people who claim they own it, too.

If our public officials cannot keep the elk out of it, who can afford to raise vegetables or cows or anything else on it? A herd of elk can ruin what small margin there is in farming real quickly.

 

Those among us who became realtors are no greedier than people have ever been, with the knowledge that nothing eggs them on like willing spenders. We didn't have them when this was a farming community. People are buying land, that will maintain value when the present paper blizzard has subsided.

The authorizing law lumps agricultural land with aquifer protection, which could mean anything. We have enough troubled with lazy laws without turning another one loose.