Title
REF180024 -Ag Land Trust Support
1. Adopt resolution to support the Ag Land Trust Agricultural Conservation Easement proposal to amend the acreage for the California Department of Conservation Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Program for the Mothershed Farm from 174 acres to 160 acres;
2. Support the Ag Land Trust grant funding application to receive grant funds from the State of California Department of Conservation SALC Program to acquire an Agricultural Conservation Easement over the Mothershed Farm for 160 acres.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
1. Adopt resolution to support the Ag Land Trust Agricultural Conservation Easement proposal to amend the acreage for the California Department of Conservation Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Program for the Mothershed Farm from 174 acres to 160 acres;
2. Support the Ag Land Trust grant funding application to receive grant funds from the State of California Department of Conservation SALC Program to acquire an Agricultural Conservation Easement over the Mothershed Farm for 160 acres.
SUMMARY:
The Ag Land Trust, a private non-profit organization which meets the criteria of Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3), has applied to the California Department of Conservation (DoC) for funding from the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Grant Program. The goal of the SALC program is to reduce or avoid greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the protection of agricultural land via the purchase of agricultural conservation easements or by enacting local strategies that result in permanent agricultural land protection. The Ag Land Trust proposes to amend an easement application request that was approved on May 17, 2018 to revise the acquisition acreage of an agricultural conservation easement on one (1) farm totaling approximately 174 acres (Attachment A): Mothershed Farm [APN No. 414-021-002-000]. The Ag Land Trust has requested the Board of Supervisors adopt resolutions of support for the Ag Land Trust to reduce the acreage of the easement to 160 acres rather than 174 acres. The acreage must be reduced to allow access to a farm located across the Salinas River, in accordance with a request from the Department of Conservation. The land is currently used for irrigated row crops, and is zoned F-40.
The Ag Land Trust has applied to the DoC for grant funds to acquire Agricultural Conservation Easements (ACE) on prime Farmlands that may be subject to conversion pressures. The Ag Land Trust seeks to amend the acreage of a proposed easement over one (1) ranch: Mothershed Farm (APN No. 414-021-002-000) which consists of a 174 acre parcel situated at the intersection of Blanco and Cooper Road, ½ mile east of the City limits of Marina. The Ag Land Trust is requesting a resolution of support from the Board to include in their application for SALC grant funding from the DoC for the purpose of acquiring an Agricultural Conservation Easement over the subject ranch totaling 160 acres, instead of 174 acres as originally approved by the Board on May 17, 2018.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office and the Resource Management Agency - Planning Department and the Ag Land Trust collaborated in the completion of the Ag Land Trust Agricultural Land Mitigation Program and Agricultural Conservation Easement Project Grant Application.
FINANCING:
There is no negative impact to the General Fund as a result of supporting the Ag Land Trust Agricultural Conservation Easement Project Grant Application.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
In accordance with General Plan Policy GS-6.1, in recognition of the limitations of using Williamson Act contracts to preserve farmlands, efforts by landowners to acquire the benefits derived by donating development rights to a duly established Farmland Trust or other organization which meets the criteria of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code shall be encouraged. Through the SALC Grant program, protection of these valuable farmlands is further achieved to increase the agricultural economic viability of Monterey County.
Check the related Board of Supervisors Strategic Initiatives:
_X_ Economic Development
___ Administration
___ Health & Human Services
___ Infrastructure
___ Public Safety
Prepared by: Christina McGinnis, RMA Interim Long Range Planning Services Manager
Reviewed by: Jacqueline R. Onciano, RMA Chief of Planning
Approved by: Carl P. Holm, AICP, RMA-Director
The following attachments are on file with the Clerk of the Board:
Attachment A - Vicinity Maps
Attachment B - Draft Resolution of Support for Mothershed Farm
cc: Front Counter Copy; Carl Holm; John Dugan, Jacqueline R. Onciano; Nadia Amador; Robert Roach, Agricultural Commissioner’s Office; Mary Grace Perry, Office of the County Counsel; Gregg MacFarlane, Senior Agricultural Appraiser, Assessor-Recorder’s Office; Sherwood Darington, Ag Land Trust; Mothershed Farm; LandWatch (Michael DeLapa, Executive Director); John H. Farrow; Janet Brennan; Project File REF170028