HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter from PacTrust Pacific Realty PAcTRusT 5350 S. Sequoia Pkwy.,Suite 300 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Portland.Oregon 97224
Pacific Realty Associates, L.P. 5031624-6300•Facsimile:5031624-7755 NOV 0 2 2007
OROVILLE,CALIFORNIA
November 1, 2007
Butte County Board of Supervisors
Administration Office
25 County Center Drive
Oroville, CA 95965
Dear Supervisors:
Re: Baldwin Contracting Company's Mining Permit Application
Pacific Realty Associates, L.P. ("PacTrust") is the owner of the M&T Chico Ranch, located
in Butte County, California("M&T Ranch"). Under a 1996 lease, PacTrust granted KRC
Holdings, Inc. ("KRC") the exclusive right to mine"all sand, gravel, aggregate, overburden
and topsoil" on a designated portion ("Leased Property") of the M&T Ranch. KRC's
mining rights under the 1996 lease were subsequently transferred to Baldwin Contracting
Company("Baldwin"). The Leased Property is located near the western boundary of the
M&T Ranch,just east of Little Chico Creek.
I understand that members of the Board of Supervisors, and others, are concerned that
Baldwin's proposed gravel mining operation involves prime or otherwise economically
viable farmland. We farmed the Leased Property in the mid 1980's and early 1990's, after
we purchased the ranch. We also leased the property out for cattle grazing in the late 1980`s.
Those production records from the crops that we farmed were provided to the Butte County
Agricultural Commissioner in 2003. We realized that we could not economically farm the
land due to marginal soils in this area, constant flooding from Little Chico Creek,
waterlogged soils in early and sometimes late Spring, and the inability to level the land
because of flooding and drainage issues from Little Chico Creek. As a result, we do not
view the Leased Property as economically viable, and we do not consider it to be prime
farmland.
C (� � , has► Lap NOV 02 ?6U
Butte County Board of Supervisors
November 1, 2007
Page 2
In addition, the proposed Baldwin mining operation will not negatively impact the farming
operation we conduct on the remainder of the M&T Ranch. We support the project, and
hope that this information will be helpful to the Board of Supervisors in its deliberations
regarding Baldwin's mining permit application.
Very truly yours,
PACIFIC REALTY ASSOCIATES, L.P.
•�`_
9JVo C. Hart
Chief Financial Officer
cc: Hon. Bill Connelly
Han. Jane Dolan
Hon. Curt Josiassen
Hon. Maureen Kirk
Hon. Kim K. Yamaguchi
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