HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-130Resolution lVo. 12-130
RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF THE COUNTY OF BUTTE APPROVING THE APPLICATION FOR GRANT FUND5 FROM CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF
CONSERVATION'S CALIFORNIA FARMLAND CONSERVANCY PROGRAM FOR 96 ACRE5 50UTH OF ORD RANCH ROAD
AND EAST OF LARKIN ROAD, ONE MILE EAST OF GRIDLEY
WHEREAS, the Legislature has established the California Farmland Conservancy Program within the Department
of Conservation and through a grant program is providing assistance to conserve important agricultural land resources
that are subject to conversion pressures; and
WHEREAS, The Butte County General Plan includes numerous goals and policies in support of Agriculture in
Butte County, including Gaal AG-1 to "Protect, maintain, promote and enhance Butte County's agriculture uses and
resources, a major source of food, employment and income in Butte County, "Goal AG-2 to "Protect Butte County's
agricultural lands from conversion to non-agriculturai uses," and Polity AG-P2.2 which states "The County supports
private conservation organizations that utilize voluntary conservation easements as a too! far agricultural conservation,
continued agricultural use, agricultural supportive uses, tax breaks, and similar goals; "and
WHEREAS, lands in the vicinity of the Pamma-Larkin Easement, east of the City of Gridley in unincorporated
Butte County have experienced and will continue to experience non-agricultural development pressures; and
WHEREAS, the Northern California Regional Land Trust (NCRLT) intends to acquire an agricultural conservation
easement an 96 acres of agriculturai lands located approximately one mile east of the City of Gridley's eastern sphere of
influence boundary for the purpose of conserving priority agricultural land resources.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Supervisors makes the following findings relative to the subject
property, approves of the filing of an application for funding from the California Farmland Conservancy Program, and
certifies that the easement meets the eligibility criteria set forth in Public Resources Code Section 14251.
1. The parcel proposed for conservation is expected to continue to be used for, and is large enough to sustain,
commercial agricultural production. The land is also in an area that possesses the necessary market,
infrastructure, and agricultural support services, and the surrounding parcel sizes and land uses will support
long-term commercial agricultural production.
a) Soils on the subject property have been classified as Prime Farmland by the tl.S. Department of
Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, and by the California Department of
Conservation's Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program. Prime Farmland, has the soil quality,
growing season, and water supply needed for sustained agricultural production.
b} The 96 acre property has been enrolled in the Williamson Act program since 1976, currently supports a
peach orchard, and is found to be large enough to support continued commercia! agriculture.
c) The property is located within the unincorporated portion of western Butte County, an area
characterized by commercial agriculture and infrastructure necessary to support commercial agriculture,
the necessary market as evidenced by infrastructure and agricultural support services in the
Biggs/Gridley area and a receiving station in Live Oak seven (7) miles away. There is one approximately
840 square feet residential structure and an irrigation ditch running through the center of the property.
d) Surrounding parcel sizes and land uses are consistent with commercial agriculture. The subject property
is surrounded on all sides by property that is designed Agriculture in the Butte County General Plan and
2
3.
is zoned Ag-40 (Agriculture - 40-acre minimum). Therefore, surrounding properties cannot be
subdivided to less than forty acres under existing land use designations.
e) Butte County Code includes provisions fora 300-foot buffer between residences and agriculturally-
zoned properties, and the buffer is required on the non-agricultural property, (BCG 24-81 to 24-84)
Agricultural buffer requirements protect commercial agricultural from non-agricultural encroachments
consistent with General Plan policy
The applicable city or county has a general plan that demonstrates along-term commitment to agricultural land
conservation. This commitment shall be reflected in the goals, objectives, policies, and implementation
measures of the plan, as they relate to the area of the county or city where the easement acquisition is
proposed.
a) The Butte County Board of Supervisors affirmed its expectation that the subject property should
continue in agriculture production through 2030 in a recent General Plan update. The property is
designated as Agriculture by the County's General Plan Land Use map, adopted October 26, 2010, and
the property is zoned AG-40 (Agriculture - 40-acre minimum) by the County's official zoning map,
adopted November 6, 2012. The previous Genera! Plan and zoning designations for this property also
reflected agricultural land uses.
Without conservation, the land proposed for protection is likely to be converted to nonagricultural use in the
foreseeable future (emphasis added].
a) The subject property is surrounded by a range of parcel sizes. Parcel sizes immediately to the south and
east of the subject parcel are large, approximately 355 acres and 220 acres respectively, reflecting
commercial agriculture use. Parcels to the west of the subject parcel are 21.6 and 15.4 acres and
• contain both residences and agricultural uses.
b) Parcels to the north support primarily rural residential development, with little or no commercial
agriculture. The eleven parcels immediately adjacent to and north of the subject property range in size
from 0.14 acres to 9.79 acres, with an average parcel size of 2.3 acres and a median parcel size of 0.83
acres.
c} A conservation easement on the subject parcel could substantially influence whether the subject
property converts to rural residential uses, like the land use pattern to the north, or whether it remains
in commercial agriculture, like other surrounding parcels.
d} While the subject property is encumbered by both a Williamson Act contract and AG-40 zoning, which
encourages continued agricultural operations, the potential value of this land for rural residential
development is acknowledged.
e) The conservation easement would preclude conversion of prime farmland on the subject parcel into
rural residential development or other non-agricultural uses.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Butte Gounty Board of Supervisors on this 11th day of December, 2012, by the following
vote:
AYES: Supervisors Connelly, Wahl, Kirk, Yamaguchi and Chair Lambert
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAINED: None `~~~~
Steve Lamb ,Chair
Butte County Board of Supervisors
ATTEST: Pau! li ,Chief Admin' ative Officer
/7~nd C,I~k~f the Boar Supervisors
By