The conservation futures ordinance was updated last week to allow the Island County board of commissioners to revise the structure and process of the program as needed.

While commissioners have not always agreed on a direction for the program, they agreed that the program should be able to change with board priorities.

Commissioners have discussed the program’s priorities in recent months. In February, the two Republican Commissioners Jill Johnson and Rick Hannold pressed to have economic potential be added to the list of criteria considered. Commissioner Helen Price Johnson, who argued factoring in economics runs afoul of the program’s intent, was outvoted.

The Island County commissioners “shall set forth by resolution the structure and process of the Conservation Futures Program,” according to the updated ordinance. “As often as needed, the board may review the conservation futures program and make changes by resolution.”

The updated ordinance also requires an annual report from the department running the program.