Farmers call foul, accuse Seattle City Light of Skagit County land grab

Farmers call foul, accuse Seattle City Light of Skagit County land grab

A $150 million salmon habitat restoration plan tied to Seattle?s future power supply is drawing sharp pushback from Skagit County, where officials are accusing the city of potential land grabs and sidelining local and tribal voices.

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. - A $150 million salmon habitat restoration plan tied to Seattle’s future power supply is drawing sharp pushback from Skagit County, where officials are accusing the city of potential land grabs and sidelining local and tribal voices.

What they're saying:

In a letter sent July 28 to Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and the City Council, county commissioners said they cannot support Seattle City Light’s proposed settlement agreement for the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project — a key part of the utility’s efforts to renew its federal license to operate three dams that supply about 20% of the city’s electricity.

What’s at stake, officials say, is more than just environmental restoration. Much of the proposed work would happen on farmland and near critical infrastructure in Skagit County. Local leaders fear Seattle could use eminent domain to take the land.

Seattle City Light’s dams on the Skagit River — Gorge, Diablo, and Ross — have operated for decades and are essential to Seattle’s energy system. The utility is now negotiating terms to renew its license with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, a process that could shape salmon recovery and land use in the region for years to come.

Ross Dam on the Skagit River is owned and operated by Seattle City Light. Except during flood events, when control is turned over to the Army Corps.

Farmers and tribes have been advocating for those dollars to fund fish passage work, but Seattle City Light has pushed forth a plan of its own, a plan that has been far from well-received.  The power provider is pushing to instead spend the millions on land nearby the Skagit River, land they promise to restore as salmon habitat. The fear amongst the farming community is Seattle might use eminent domain to take farmland under the guise of habitat restoration.

"What we have here is a proposal granting Seattle lawyers and elected officials the authority to land grab Skagit County by condemnation," said Save Family Farming Vice President and Skagit dairy farmer Jason Vander Kooy. "Let’s call this what it is: an audacious power move by an energy company 80 miles away that thinks it has the right to seize rural farmland under the guise of a fish recovery plan they wrote without even involving the people most affected."

So, while Seattle needs Skagit’s cooperation to keep the power flowing, Skagit County is saying: If you want to restore salmon and renew your license, you need to work with us — not around us.

The other side:

Seattle City Light and City of Seattle leadership offered the following response:

"Since the relicensing process began in 2019, City Light has been working closely with Tribes, state and federal agencies, and other stakeholders, including Skagit County, to develop a long-term agreement that balances tribal interests, power generation, environmental protection, and community interests. One of the key components of our final license application, filed in April 2023, and the settlement agreement we continue to negotiate with license participants is a comprehensive fish program that includes fish passage at all three dams.

City Light is committed to supporting salmon recovery and long-term harvest opportunities on the Skagit River. Estuary habitat restoration is an essential component of the success of salmon recovery. In addition to our commitment to fish passage at the Skagit Project dams, the settlement, if adopted by FERC through a new license, will require City Light to make funding available for habitat restoration projects in the estuary. These funds will be available to Tribes, federal and state agencies, and Skagit County. City Light expects these entities will prioritize how this money will be used for voluntary property transactions and other estuary restoration projects.

City Light does not intend to use condemnation authority to acquire property in the estuary. The footnote with your story referenced the Skagit County Commissioners letter; attached is our response that further expands on this issue and makes clear our intentions."

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