CORP Note: Draft disseminated by SCAPOSD for public review on December 10, 1999 DRAFT Acquisition Plan
2000 BACKGROUND Implementation of Acquisition Plan 2000 will require the District to initiate pro-active landowner outreach and marketing efforts and establish creative public/private partnerships to achieve desired conservation goals within each of the four open space categories (Greenbelt, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Recreation). The following are some proposed major conservation "initiatives" that District staff could pursue in each of the open space categories over the next five years. These initiatives do recommend greater consideration of fee acquisition in some circumstances, however, the Acquisition Plan and the District's Land Conservation Program will continue to emphasize the use of conservation easements, tailored to the conservation values of each property, as the primary tool for land protection. PROPOSED INITIATIVES GREENBELTS Greenbelt Initiative Utilize the District's GIS, Experian and multiple listings databases to undertake an aggressive marketing program to identify and prioritize for fee acquisition, multiple contiguous properties within Community Separators and Priority Greenbelt areas closest to cities. Work with cities and willing landowners to conserve specific properties that contribute substantially to protection of key scenic features, ridgelines and community separators. Proposed Partners: Cities, Real Estate Industry, Advisory Committee, Land Trusts, Trust for Public Land, Coastal Conservancy, Greenbelt Alliance Preferred Acquisition Tools: Fee acquisition and surplus; District's Competitive Matching Grant Program. Use of options, purchase agreements and "Third Party" negotiators where needed to secure lands. AGRICULTURE Coastal Dairies Initiative Work cooperatively with the Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner's Office to undertake a major marketing effort to landowners within the priority "dairy belt." Set up community forum(s) and meet with the dairy industry representatives (Clover Stornetta and Dairy Farms of America) to educate them about the benefits of participating in the District's Land Conservation Program. Explore key funding partnerships ("Third Party") such as with the Trust for Public Land and Packard Foundation (who worked together to protect the 7,000 acre "Coast Dairies" properties north of Santa Cruz) for acquiring multiple contiguous dairy properties and placing them under protective easements. Proposed Partners: Agricultural Commissioner's Office, UC Cooperative Extension, dairymen and dairy industry representatives, Advisory Committee, Resource Conservation Districts, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Farm Bureau, Trust for Public Land, Marin Agricultural Land Trust, California Farmlands Conservancy (Agricultural Lands Stewardship Program), American Farmland Trust. Preferred Acquisition Tools: Agricultural conservation easements and selective use of fee acquisition with re-sale back to dairy operators. Use of options, purchase agreements and "Third Party" negotiators where needed to secure lands. Greenbelt Agriculture Initiative: Identify and acquire through conservation easement and/or fee acquisition, multiple contiguous rural properties within Community Separators and Priority Greenbelt areas closest to cities for agricultural use and re-use. Work cooperatively with small agriculture groups to lease or buy back agricultural conservation properties for the growing and/or marketing of locally grown specialty crops. Proposed Partners: Agricultural Commissioner's Office, UC Cooperative Extension, Trust for Public Land, Farm Bureau, Community Alliance with Family Farms (CAFF), Sonoma Select, Farm Trails, farmers markets, American Farmland Trust. Preferred Acquisition Tools: Conservation easement, Fee acquisition with leaseback or resale to agricultural buyer(s). Use of options, purchase agreements to secure properties. NATURAL RESOURCES Oak Woodlands Initiative Work cooperatively with The Nature Conservancy and other conservation funding partners to identify and acquire large contiguous parcels and connecting corridors to establish a sizable Oak Woodland Preserve or Park within the area identified as Priority Oak Woodland. The Preserve could be managed by a Public or private entity similarly to Fairfield Osborne Preserve, Audubon Bouverie Preserve or a UC Natural Land &: Water Reserve and allow for public access. The preserve could also be used as an oak woodiand mitigation 'bank', for loss of oak woodland elsewhere in Sonoma County. This pro-active Oak Woodlands Acquisition Initiative could greatly enhance protection of oaks and oak woodland in Sonoma County and augment other regulatory and non-regulatory conservation tools. Proposed Partners: The Nature Conservancy, Madrone Audubon Society, California Oak Foundation, California Department of Fish & Game, Coastal Conservancy, California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection, State Parks, Bureau of Land Management, University of California, Sonoma State University, Santa Rosa JC, Center for Natural Lands Management, Rangelands Trust, foundations and private funders. Preferred Acquisition Tools: Fee acquisition (Bargain Sale); Fee acquisition and sale to conservation buyer with restricted conservation easement; Fee acquisition and leaseback to grazier; Limited Agricultural Conservation Easement. Use of options, third parties to secure properties. Coastal Forests Initiative Work cooperatively with Save-the-Redwoods League, The Nature Conservancy, State Parks, Coastal Conservancy, Bureau of Land Management, Regional Parks or other public/private conservation funding partners to identify, acquire and conserve a sizable Redwood Forest Preserve/Park within the area identified as Priority Forestland. The Preserve/Park would allow public access. Identify other properties and forest corridors properties within the area identified as Priority Forestland for conservation easement acquisition where the landowner is willing to commit to utilizing sustainable forestry practices through an approved Sustainable Forestry Plan. Proposed Partners: Save-the-Redwoods League, The Nature Conservancy, Regional Parks, Coastal Conservancy, Trust for Public Land, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protectiøn, Bureau of Land Management, Madrone Audubon Society, land trusts, foundations, and sustainable forestry organizations. Preferred Acquisition Tools: Fee acquisition (Bargain Sale); Donation; Conservation Buyer and "working forest" conservation easement. Use of options, third party and grants to secure Properties. Threatened and Endangered Species Initiative Identify, acquire and conserve high priority threatened and endangered species locations identified as high priority sites (Natural Diversity Database and data from local biological experts). Utilize fee acquisition and/or restricted conservation easements where the landowner is committed to land management which allows for species preservation and habitat restoration. Identify agencies and organizations to hold fee title and maintain property. Preferred Acquisition Tools: Fee acquisition (Bargain Sale); Donation; Conservation Buyer; forever wild or limited agricultural conservation easements. Use of options, third party and grants to secure properties. Proposed Partners: California Department of Fish & Game, Coastal Conservancy, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Army Corps of Engineers, Native Plant Society, Madrone Audubon Society and other natural resource conservation organizations and private conservation partners Riparian Corridor Protection Initiative Initiate a riparian easements acquisition program along key streams identified by technical experts to conserve riparian cover, stream meanders and setbacks. Priority streams would include those identified with good canopy cover and with threatened and endangered fish and invertebrate species. Additional focus streams could be those with important restoration needs. Utilize the District's GIS and Experian databases to contact landowners within the Priority Riparian and Priority Greenways areas to educate them about the benefits of participating in the District's Land Conservation Program. To implement this program, the District would need to provide landowners with estimates of appraised value of riparian easements per mile, if possible. This type of program would also need to assemble a "critical mass" of riparian easements in priority areas. Proposed Partners: Third party contract appraisers/negotiators; Sonoma County Water Agency, cities, Regional Water Quality Control Board, State Agencies, Coastal Conservancy, Resource Conservation Districts, California Department of Fish & Game, conservation and restoration non-profits and local land trusts. Preferred Acquisition Tools: Riparian Setback conservation easements; donation of conservation easements, with use of options and grants to secure a contiguous stream buffer. Laguna de Santa Rosa Initiative Identify key Laguna properties adjacent to other public and protected lands to create a Laguna Preserve utilizing various conservation tools. Identify and conserve public and private lands within the Laguna de Santa Rosa for riparian and Valley Oak woodland and upland restoration. Allow public access where appropriate, through a linked trail system. Work with cities, State and Federal Agencies to secure matching funds. Proposed Partners: EPA, California Department of Fish & Game, Cities, Regional Water Quality Control Board, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries, Laguna Foundation, California Native Plant Society, Madrone Audubon Society Preferred Acquisition Tools: Combination of dedication of conservation easement on public lands; license agreement and management agreements on public lands; acquisition of forever wild,easements on private lands and fee acquisition. Use options and third parties where necessary to place multiple properties under protection. RECREATION Parks Initiative Acquire a minimum of 5 regional/state park sites around the County, which can be opened for public use within the next 5-10 years. Using the Acquisition Plan 2000 Priority Area Maps, the 1989 Sonoma County General Plan, and the Countywide Outdoor Recreation Plan as guides, work cooperatively with key park partners to coordinate park acquisition priorities and timely implementation of projects. Organize a "summit" of key park agency staffs by the end of 1999 to select likely park projects with an eye toward voter approval of Proposition 12 (Park Bond) on the March 2000 ballot. The District will enter into cooperative partnerships with other agencies to fund land acquisition and stewardship of park sites. Priority for District funding will be given to those park projects that have dedicated matching funds and can be secured, improved and opened in a timely and cost-effective manner. Proposed Partners: Regional Parks, State Parks, Coastal Conservancy, Trust for Public Land, State Parks Foundation, Bay Area Open Space Council, LandPaths, Bureau of Land Management, State Legislators and other non-profit organizations. Preferred Acquisition Tools: Fee acquisition (Bargain Sale). Use of options, third party negotiators and phased acquisition where necessary. Public Access Initiatives: The District will work cooperatively with local, regional and state recreation and non-profit partners to identify, prioritize and implement public access opportunities which are most likely to link public lands. The District will organize a "summit" of key public access partners by the end of 1999 to select likely public access projects with an eye toward voter approval of Proposition 12 (Park Bond) on the March 2000 ballot. The District will enter into cooperative partnerships for fee and easement acquisition of identified high priority public access opportunities that are part of an adopted county Plan and that can be secured, improved and opened in a timely and cost-effective manner. The District will work closely with LandPaths to expand its Public Outings Program to District protected properties. The Application Form for participating in the District's Land Conservation Program will be revised to include a questions regarding the landowner's interest in public access. The District will also work cooperatively with the Sonoma County Water Agency and the Regional Parks Department to secure and implement dedicated public access along agency-owned rights of way and creek channels. Proposed Partners: Sonoma County Water Agency, Regional Parks, Cities, LandPaths, Bay Area Ridge Trail Council, Coastal Conservancy and the Community Foundation Preferred Acquisition Tools: Public dedication of trail easement, public agency license agreement, fee acquisition of right-of-way, acquisition of trail easement and donation of trail easement. Community Recreation Initiative Utilize the District's Competitive Matching Grant Program to give grants to cities for community park and recreation and public access projects, including underserved communities. Cities must demonstrate that park projects are part of an adopted city plan and have dedicated matching funds for development and management of park and recreational facilities. Proposed Partners: Cities, Regional Parks, Sonoma County Water Agency, Community Foundation, Coastal Conservancy, Trust for Public Land, LandPaths Preferred Acquisition Tool: Fee acquisition through Competitive Matching Grant Program (grants) and other grant sources. ATTACHMENT 5 |
