Title
REF180025 - Ag Land Trust ((Botta-Ikeda Farm, Sella Farm and Miller-Roth Ranch)
Adopt resolutions to:
1. Support the Ag Land Trust Agricultural Conservation Easement proposal to the California Department of Conservation Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Program for the Botta-Ikeda Farm [105.87 acres];
2. Support the Ag Land Trust Agricultural Conservation Easement proposal to the California Department of Conservation Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Program for the Sella Farm [176 acres];
3. Support the Ag Land Trust Agricultural Conservation Easement proposal to the California Department of Conservation Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Program for the Miller-Roth Ranch [601.66 acres];
4. Support the Ag Land Trust grant funding application to receive grant funds from the State of California Department of Conservation SALC Program to acquire Agricultural Conservation Easements over the Botta-Ikeda Farm, Sella Farm, and Miller-Roth Ranch, totaling 883.53 acres.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Adopt resolutions to:
1. Support the Ag Land Trust Agricultural Conservation Easement proposal to the California Department of Conservation Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Program for the Botta-Ikeda Farm [105.87 acres];
2. Support the Ag Land Trust Agricultural Conservation Easement proposal to the California Department of Conservation Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Program for the Sella Farm [176 acres];
3. Support the Ag Land Trust Agricultural Conservation Easement proposal to the California Department of Conservation Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Program for the Miller-Roth Ranch [601.66 acres];
4. Support the Ag Land Trust grant funding application to receive grant funds from the State of California Department of Conservation SALC Program to acquire Agricultural Conservation Easements over the Botta-Ikeda Farm, Sella Farm, and Miller-Roth Ranch, totaling 883.53 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 purposes to acquire agriculture conservation easements on three (3) farms totaling approximately 883.53 acres: Botta-Ikeda Farm (105.87 acres) (APN No. 167-052-023-000); (Attachment B); Sella Farm (176 acres) (APN No.133-081-006) (Attachment C); Miller-Roth Ranch (601.66 acres) (Consists of 61 APN Nos. compiled as part of Attachment D). The Ag Land Trust has requested the Board of Supervisors adopt resolutions of support for the Ag Land Trust to include in their application to the DoC for the grant funds.
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 acquire easements over three (3) farms: Botta-Ikeda Farm, which is located at the west end of Corda Road less than two miles southwest of the City limits of Gonzales and is currently irrigated row crops (105.87 acres, APN No. 167-052-023-000); Sella Farm, located adjacent to and north of Castroville and is currently irrigated row crops (176 acres, APN No.133-081-006); Miller-Roth Ranch, located at the intersection of Ranchita Canyon Road and Cross Road east of San Miguel and is currently rangeland (601.66 acres, consists of 61 separate APN Nos.). The Ag Land Trust is requesting resolutions of support from the Board to include in their application for SALC grant funding from the DoC for the purpose of acquiring Agricultural Conservation Easements over the subject three (3) farms totaling approximately 883.53 acres.
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, 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 Botta-Ikeda Farm
Attachment C - Draft Resolution of Support for Sella Farm
Attachment D - Draft Resolution of Support for Miller-Roth Ranch
cc: Front Counter Copy; Carl Holm; John Dugan, Jacqueline R. Onciano; Nadia Amador; Robert Roach, Agricultural Commissioner’s Office; Brian Briggs, Office of the County Counsel; Gregg MacFarlane, Senior Agricultural Appraiser, Assessor-Recorder’s Office; Sherwood Darington, Ag Land Trust; Botta-Ikeda Farm; Sella Farm; Miller-Roth Ranch; The Open Monterey Project (Molly Erickson); LandWatch (Michael DeLapa, Executive Director); John H. Farrow; Janet Brennan; Project File REF170028