Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout17-182 /r f r r,J r r r/i i(✓r'�� �/ �r r ,,%r. ��ir�,,l/ 1 ,ir � r. � i r> >/% {; �i. `; � G /,. r ., /. !G ;, /1/%/��/>'///����, I I 1 /� f xr,✓,rr � l �/., f/ '1 ,, // �i ,I �� / �r ����r 1, / ,�. ' Resolution No.. 17-182 A RESOLUTION OF THE BUTTE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ACCEPTING THE BUTTE COUNTY SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL LANCES CONSERVATION (SALC)STRATEGY WHEREAS, State Assembly Bill (AB) 32 (2006),the Global Warming Solutions Act and subsequent state legislation and executive orders direct public agencies to support statewide goals for greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions; and WHEREAS, Butte County recognizes a compelling need for a local approach to reduce GHG emissions within the local community; and WHEREAS,the Butte County General Plan establishes Conservation and Open Space Element Goal CGS-1,directing the County to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020;. and WHEREAS, as documentedin the Butte County Climate Action Plan, in 2006 the Butte County agricultural sector was its largest emitter of greenhouse gases, emitting 390,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents; and WHEREAS, however, when compared acre by acre, agriculture is a lower producer of greenhouse gas emissions than urban uses;and WHEREAS, agriculture's contribution to Butte County's greenhouse gas emissions inventory reflects the large extent of agriculture in Butte County, with over 500,000 acres in some form of agricultural production in 2006; and WHEREAS, in fact, in 2006 agricultural practices in Butte County emitted less than 1 metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalents per acre of existing agricultural land; and WHEREAS, each average acre of new residential, commercial, or industrial land could result in emissions of up to nine times that of an acre of agricultural land; and WHEREAS, the Butte County General) Plan establishes Agriculture Element Goal AG-2, directing that the County protect agricultural lands from conversion to non-agricultural) uses; and WHEREAS, according to the Butte County 2016 Crop Report,from 2004 to 2016 Butte County lost 13,635 acres of farmland to urban land, built-up land, and other land uses; and WHEREAS, this conversion included 4,996 acres of Prime Farmland, 1,678 acres of Unique Farmiand, and 6,236 acres of Grazing Land; and WHEREAS, this information suggests a need to more effectively conserve agricultural lands in order to meet the County's goals; and WHEREAS, the conservation of grasslands, composting of grazed grasslands, and certain other cultivation practices on rice lands and other agricultural lands in Butte County can also help meet local and statewide goals for GHG emissions reductions, as well as for water conservation and groundwater recharges; and WHEREAS, the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Program is a component of the Strategic Growth Council's Affordable Housing and Sustainability Program (AHSC).The AHSC,administered by the Strategic Growth Council, aims "to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through projects that implement land use, housing, transportation, and agricultural land preservation practices..."; and WHEREAS, the statewide SALC Program complements investments made in urban areas with the purchase of agricultural conservation easements, development of agricultural land strategy plans, and other mechanisms that result in greenhouse gas reductions and a more resilient agricultural sector; and WHEREAS, in future years, the statewide SALC Program is proposed to support farm-scale conservation management practices that further promote reductions in GHG emissions and increases in soil carbon sequestration; and WHEREAS,the Department of Conservation is working in cooperation with the Natural Resources Agency and the SGC to implement the SALC Program. The program invests in agricultural land conservation with revenue from California's California Climate Investments (CCI) Fund, made available for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions while providing additional benefits to California communities. The CCI is derived from quarterly cap-and-trade auction proceeds, which are administered by the California Air Resources Board; and WHEREAS,the Butte County Board of Supervisors on March 10,2015 authorized the Department of Development Services to apply for a SALC Program grant in order to prepare a SALC Strategy; and WHEREAS, Grant Number 3015-902 was awarded through the Strategic Growth Council to Butte County for preparation of the SALC Strategy on September 22, 2015; and WHEREAS, upon receiving the grant award, Butte County began a process to update and prepare an agricultural lands base map, an inventory of vulnerable lands, a protected lands inventory,and other mapping products,as well as to identify key sustainable agricultural practices that could help the County meet its greenhouse gas emissions and agricultural lands conservation goals; and WHEREAS, as part of this project's outreach, the County contacted numerous technical experts, and held stakeholder workshops in April 2016, September 2017, and October 2017; and WHEREAS,these key partners and stakeholders include the Butte County Agricultural Commissioner's Office,the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), the Butte Environmental Council, the Northern California Regional Land Trust, the Butte County Farm Bureau, and the Butte County Department of Water and Resource Conservation; as well as local farmers, ranchers, and other community members; and WHEREAS, in collaboration with these partner agencies and stakeholders, the following key findings were identified during preparation of the Butte County SALC Strategy: 1. Butte County's rangelands sequester large amounts of carbon, and can sequester significantly more with implementation of carbon sequestration practices such as composting of grazed grasslands. For example, staff estimates that implementation of registry-approved rangeland conservation and composting practices on 75 percent of the County's rangelands could be sufficient to substantially surpass (up to 105% achievement) the total 2020 County-wide carbon emission reduction goal set forth by the Butte County Climate Action Plan. Implementation of these practices on 100 percent of the County's rangelands could result in commensurately higher levels of carbon offsets (up to 140%achievement of total 2020 CAP goals); 2. According to representatives of the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), composting of grazed grasslands in Butte County, particularly its low-soil-productivity, low-water-holding capacity grasslands, could substantially improve the agricultural productivity of these lands; 3. Implementation of other sustainable practices could also substantially support attainment of the County's goals. For example, staff estimates that implementation of reduced winter flooding, straw removal, and dry seeding on 100 percent of the County's rice lands could achieve up to 12 percent of the total 2020 County- wide carbon emission reduction goal as set forth in the Climate Action Plan; 4. The sustainable practices described in the SALC Strategy may not be appropriate for all agricultural operations. Interested landowners and managers are encouraged to evaluate the practices described in the SALC Strategy to determine whether they are feasible and appropriate for their properties; 5. Financial incentive programs are becoming available to support implementation of carbon-offset practices such as the conservation of grasslands,the composting of grazed grasslands, and other sustainable practices; 6. Easily accessible, user-friendly information is lacking about these emerging financial incentive programs for the production of carbon offsets; 7. The Butte County SALC Strategy is a set of tools intended to help connect farmers, ranchers, and others to these emerging financial incentives for implementing sustainable practices,which can direct millions of dollars of cap-and-trade funding to rural communities to help offset carbon emissions; and 8. By so doing, the Butte County SALC Strategy not only supports the agricultural sector, but also supports attainment of the County's goals for GHG emissions reductions and its goals for the conservation of agricultural lands; and WHEREAS, during preparation of the SALC Strategy, the following considerations were also identified relative to other County plans and programs: 1. Butte County Climate Action Plan (CAP). The CAP analysis does not factor in the benefits of agricultural land in sequestering carbon; rather it only accounts for greenhouse gas emissions. As stated above, carbon sequestration based on conservation and composting of the County's rangelands could provide substantial additional carbon emissions offsets that could help Butte County reach its total net CAP emissions reduction goal and perhaps exceed that goal. The 2019 update to the CAP should include an analysis of carbon sequestration on County agricultural lands, and how it could help the County meets its GHG emissions reductions goals. 2. Land Conservation (Williamson) Act Program. Butte County has expressed interest in considering potential modifications to its Williamson Act program that could more closely align the program with local conditions, needs, and opportunities. Development of the SALC Strategy has provided a number of findings and tools that could be integrated into such a program. For example, given the prominent role that grasslands (rangelands) could play in achieving carbon emissions offsets, the County could consider incentivizing the execution of Williamson Act(or similar agricultural land conservation)contracts for these lands. The program could similarly create additional incentives for other lands whose continuing conservation and appropriate agricultural use could help the County attain its climate action planning or other key sustainability goals; 3. Agricultural Mitigation Ordinance. Butte County is preparing an Agricultural Mitigation Ordinance (AMO) in accordance with Butte County General Plan Agriculture Element Action AG-A2.1,to encourage municipalities in Butte County to adopt similar ordinances pursuant to Agriculture Element Action AG-A2.2, and to provide a Draft Agriculture Mitigation Ordinance to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors for future consideration. The AMO would support the General Plan Agricultural Element's stated goal to protect Butte County's agricultural lands from conversion to non-agricultural uses. The County may wish to consider integrating key findings and opportunities from the SALC Strategy into the Draft AMO as it is brought forward; 4. Oak Woodland Mitigation Ordinance. Butte County is preparing an oak woodland ordinance which will identify impacts and mitigations for oak woodlands on discretionary projects within the unincorporated area of Butte County. The SALC Strategy may serve to support further development of the ordinance in ways that were not originally foreseen. For example, in the preliminary preparation stage of the ordinance,it was found that the California Oaks Foundation estimates that oak woodlands in Butte County account for over 3.2 million metric tons of sequestered carbon. Carbon sequestration is thought to play an important role in offsetting greenhouse gas emissions. Work toward this ordinance could point to potential carbon sequestration benefits that are not currently being considered for retaining and regrowth of oak woodlands in the review of discretionary projects; and WHEREAS, the Butte County SALC Strategy is a set of living tools and information intended to assist farmers, ranchers, and other members of the public in voluntarily conserving agricultural lands while achieving the key sustainability goals of carbon sequestration,greenhouse gas emissions reductions, water conservation, and groundwater recharge. The SALC Strategy focuses on linking Butte County residents and businesses to millions of dollars in emerging incentives and opportunities for conserving agricultural lands and implementing sustainable practices. Participation in any of the identified programs is entirely voluntary; and WHEREAS, the Butte County SALC Strategy does not modify or impose any existing or new requirements or regulations of any kind; and WHEREAS, development and updates to the Butte County SALC Strategy are ongoing, and will continue into the future, in order to better coordinate emerging information, opportunities, planning and programs for agricultural land conservation in Butte County. NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Butte County Board of Supervisors hereby accepts the Butte County Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC)Strategy, based on the following findings: 1. Acceptance of the Butte County Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Strategy was recommended to the Board of Supervisors by the Planning Commission on September 28, 2017. 2. As a set of tools and information which does not create or impose any new regulations, requirements, or programming, and which does not involve the exercise of any discretionary powers over land-use permitting or entitlements, the Butte County Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Strategy is not a `project' pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act(CEQA)Guidelines Section 51378, and is therefore not subject to environmental review. 3. As demonstrated in Exhibit A to this resolution, the Butte County Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Strategy is consistent and compatible with the General Plan and any applicable community or specific plan as provided by Government Code Section 65860; as well as long-range planning guidance from the State of California. 4. The proposed SALC Strategy is further compatible with, and supports achievement of the goals of, the Butte County Climate Action Plan. PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Butte County Board of Supervisors this 241h day of October, 2017, by the following vote: AYES: Supervisors Wahl, Kirk, Lambert,Teeter, and Chair Connelly NOES: None ABSENT: None NOT VOTING: None Bill Connelly, Chair 0 Butte County Board of Supervisors ATTEST: Paul Hahn, Chief Administrative Officer and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors By: Depuj� Exhibit A General Plan 2030 Goals and Polic' Consistency Review Land Use Element LU-P1.1 The County shall protect and Consistent:The SALC Strategy is intended to protect the conserve land that is used for agricultural broad agricultural land and soil resource base. purposes, including cropland and grazing land. LU-P1.3 The County shall minimize potential Consistent:The SALC Strategy has identified areas where conflicts between agricultural and urban agricultural lands could be converted to nonagricultural uses. use, and minimizes potential conflicts by identifying incentives for agricultural conservation, Goal LU-11 Effectively coordinate planning Consistent: Local municipalities including the cities of efforts with the municipalities. Chico, Biggs, Gridley, Oroville,and the Town of Paradise have been consulted during development of the SALC Strategy. LU-P13.7 Conserve and protect for Consistent:The SALC Strategy identifies incentives to agricultural use the lands in the Chico area protect agricultural lands on the agricultural side of the that are situated on the Agricultural Side of Chico Area Greenline and elsewhere in the County. the Chico Area Greenline. Economic Development Element LU-P2.6 The County supports programs and Consistent:The SALC Strategy identifies financial projects that would help Butte County incentives for farmers and ranchers to produce carbon farmers provide carbon offsets, if and when offsets. It is important to note that participation in new regulations require industries to carbon offset production programs is entirely voluntary provide carbon offsets. for offset producers. LU-P2.7 The County supports programs and Consistent:A carbon offset protocol for rice production projects that utilize agricultural by-products identified in the SALC Strategy supports the baling of rice for"green" building material production straw for other uses. In 2019, a facility that processes rice and/or renewable energy production, such straw into particle board will be completed in Glenn as using straw bales for building or County.This is one potential use for the baled rice straw. converting rice straw to bio-fuels. Agriculture Element Goal AG-1 Protect, maintain, promote and Consistent:The goal of the SALC Strategy is to conserve enhance Butte County's agriculture uses agricultural land while promoting key sustainable farming and resources,a major source of food', practices. employment and income in Butte County. Goal AG-2 Protect Butte County's Consistent: The goal of the SALC Strategy is to conserve agricultural lands from conversion to non- I agricultural) land while promoting key sustainable farming agricultural uses. practices. Goal AG-3 Promote innovative and Consistent:The carbon offset production practices and economically viable agriculture. incentives identified by the SALC Strategy are,innovative, and provide additional funding to farmers enrolled in the program(s). Goal AG-5 Reduce conflicts between,urban Consistent:The SALC Strategy identifies areas where and agricultural uses and between habitat agricultural lands could be converted to nonagricultural mitigation banking and agricultural uses. uses,and reduces this conflict by identifying incentives for agricultural conservation. Habitat mitigation bank locations have been identified,which can help to prevent future conflict between these lands and agricultural lands. Water Resources Element Goal W-1 Maintain and enhance water Consistent:Achievement of the SALC Strategy goals of quality. conserving water and promoting groundwater recharge can contribute to improved water quality. Goal W-4 Promote water conservation as Consistent:The Rice Cultivation carbon offset programs an important part of a long-term and identified and promoted by the SALC Strategy include sustainable water supply. specific practices that conserve water. Other incentives programs promoted by SALC also conserve water. W-P4.1 Agricultural and urban water use Consistent:Agricultural practices and incentive programs efficiency shall be promoted. identified and promoted through the SALC Strategy promote efficient water use. Conservation and Open Space Element Goal COS-1 Reduce greenhouse gas Consistent-.The SALC Strategy identifies carbon offset emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. practices and incentives that can help achieve this goal. CCAS-P1.6 Recognize and promote the Consistent:The SALC Strategy identifies and promotes emerging market for agricultural producers emerging financial incentives for ranchers to produce to provide carbon sequestration services. carbon sequestration services through rangeland conservation and/or rangeland composting. Public Facilities and Services Element PUB-PI1.5 The County supports private and Consistent:As part of SALC Strategy development,staff is public composting facilities seeking to identify regional composting facilities which produce,or can produce, compost suitable for use in the Grassland Composting protocol. Area and Neighborhood Plans Element D2N-06.2 Protection of soil resources. (a) Consistent:The carbon offset programs identified by the To eliminate potential for soil erosion or SALC Strategy promote soil health,and can reduce,soil degradation of its agricultural productivity. erosion and degradation while providing financial incentives, D2N-P6.6 Protect agricultural lands which Consistent:The SALC Strategy identifies agricultural lands currently produce,or have the potential to with the potential to be converted to non-agricultural produce,from encroaching urban uses. uses, and further identifies and promotes incentives for protecting and conserving these lands. D2N-P6.7 Identify and protect groundwater Consistent: Development of the SALC Strategy is being recharge areas within and outside of the coordinated with the Department of Water and Resource Planning Area to assure adequate Conservation in order to identify groundwater recharge groundwater supplies meeting the areas in agricultural areas,so that these areas can be standards of the California Safe Drinking considered for prioritized protections. Water Act. Climate ActionPlan Measure, Consistency Review AG1. Implement best practices in rice farming. Consistent: Practices included in the Rice Cultivation protocols identified and promoted by the SALC Strategy are considered best practices, and help reduce methane emissions. AG2. Reduce the amount of burned agricultural Consistent:The Rice Cultivation Protocols residue. identified by the SALC Strategy provide financial incentives for baling rice straw and repurposing it, instead of burning the straw. AG3. Implement best practices in fertilizer and Consistent:The Grassland Composting protocol pesticide use. identified and promoted through the SALC Strategy supports best practices,that reduce fertilizer and pesticide use. A2. Prepare for changing precipitation patterns and Consistent: Switching to sustainable water reduced water supply. conservation and groundwater recharge practices identified through the SALC Strategy can reduce water needs and help prepare for future drought. R1. Enhance the economic viability of local agriculture Consistent:The sustainable farming practices in a changing climate. identified and promoted by the SALC Strategy can provide farmers with additional revenue sou rces. ;W7 iGeheral Plan°G rrde�!hes � 'rsl li ri y e ►leffliffliffiEffim Land Use Element Discouraging premature and unnecessary conversion Consistent:The SALC Strategy supports the of open-space land to urban uses is a matter of public conservation of agricultural lands and helps to interest and will be of benefit to urban dwellers discourage noncontiguous development because it will discourage noncontiguous patterns. development patterns which unnecessarily increase the costs of community services to community residents (Gov..Code§65561). As jurisdictions establish organic material recycling Consistent: In order to support carbon offsets programs,the general plan should consider the produced by compost additions to rangeland, infrastructure that is needled to support increased additional facilities may need to be created to diversion of organics from landfills, including the meet the demand for specific qualities of location of new facilities,the possibility of upgrading compost, compost storage,and possibly existing facilities to accommodate organic material delivery. specifically, (i.e.,co-locating composting and digestion facilities at existing facilities such as transfer stations, material recovery facilities, and landfills), or the creation of new curbside collection requirements for food scraps with yard waste. Conservation Element Highly productive soil resources that support Consistent:The SALC Strategy identifies and agricultural production and ecosystem services are a promotes a number of financial incentive finite resource;thus requiring long-term programs supporting these agricultural conservation. Soil management and conservation practices. practices,such as cover cropping, crop rotation, mulching, and nutrient management, may help support healthy soils and conservation goals. Open Space Element The inventory must identify open space for natural Consistent:As part of SALC Strategy resources,including,but not limited to. development,the County has updated',its GIS Areas required for the preservation of plant and animal data, including conservation easements and life, including habitat for fish and wildlife species.Such other GIS layers. areas may include: • Areas designated in HCPs and NCCPs • Critical habitat identified pursuant to the Endangers Species Act(ESA) • Conservation easements • Marine protected areas (MPRs) • Areas identified in greenprints and Regional Conservation Assessments(RCAs) • Parks and trails • Areas designated by federal,state, regional and local agencies and governments as important habitat 9 Existing forest and woodland areas set aside for mitigation e Areas important for habitat connectivity Areas required far ecologic and other scientific study purposes.Such areas may include preserves, parks and other land used by universities to study agricultural systems, wildlife habitats, and other natural systems. Rivers,streams, boys and estuaries; riparian areas;and coastal beaches, lakeshores, banks of rivers and streams, and watershed lands. Climate Change CEQA recognizes offsets and sequestration as Consistent:The SALC Strategy identifies and potential mitigation for GHG emissions. Lead promotes carbon offset techniques that have agencies have discretion to choose what is been approved by the California Association of considered feasible and what they are capable of Pollution Control Officers(CAPCOA) as monitoring. mitigation for air quality impacts. OAPs should include strategies that address the Consistent:The SALC Strategy provides natural sequestration capabilities within a estimates regarding the role of carbon community,and community-wide efforts that may sequestration in potentially achieving the benefit from projiect-based funding. County's overall (net) carbon emissions goals. This information can be incorporated into the updated Climate Action, Plan. The lead agency should find, based on substantial Consistent:The SALC Strategy's clarified and evidence,that any measure, including offsets or coordinated information about carbon sequestration measures, is capable of being sequestration could help to provide evidence to accomplished successfully within a reasonable period determine whether carbon sequestration of time,taking into account economic, measures are capable of being accomplished environmental, legal, social, and technological factors successfully and within a reasonable period of (CEQA Guidelines§ 15364). time.