More than 156,000 acres of open space land in King County will enjoy extra protection at no cost to taxpayers, thanks to a charter amendment vote of the people in the Nov. 3 general election.

By overwhelmingly approving the “Open Space Preservation Act” with roughly 80 percent of the vote after the second day of counts, King County voters provided enhanced protection for high conservation value rural acreage either owned or held in a conservation easement by the county.

The rural acreage includes the Raging River Natural Area, the Snoqualmie Forest, Cougar and Taylor Mountains.

The amendment strengthens protections against the sale or transfer of 96 protected properties by the county, and it permanently preserves the conservation-oriented uses of the lands by precluding any change in the uses allowed at the time of acquisition.

The amendment does not require the purchase of new land. King County already owns the protected land or the development rights to the land, and there are no direct costs associated with the amendment.