"Secret" King Conservation District Election Tomorrow

The King Conservation District promotes conservation in rural King County. Of course, in rural King County, "conservation" can be a fighting word. The KCD encourages farmers and landowners to use best practices with incentives and programs, among other things fish and wildlife-y.

This Tuesday, you have the chance to vote for an open position on its five-member board. (It's a three-year term.) The catch is, you've got to vote in person at the library. Per Publicola: "Seattle residents can vote at the downtown public library (1000 Fourth Ave.) between 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m." [Other King county locations here.] It's likely a hassle for most people, but on the other hand, it makes a good reason for a trip to the library if you haven't been in a while.

Your candidates are listed here: Cascade Harvest Coalition Director Mary Embleton, farmer Mara Heiman, realtor Teri Herrera, ecologist and environmental planner Kirk Prindle, and conservationist Max Prinsen. Here and there you get a sense of the underlying tensions, thanks to code words like "property rights" and concerns like water resource management. Choose wisely.