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Yolo LAFCO Agricultural Conservation Policy

Yolo LAFCO Agricultural Conservation Policy. Yolo County Local Agency Formation Commission Commissioners  Public Member Olin Woods, Chair   County Member Matt Rexroad, Vice Chair   City Members Stephen Souza, Skip Davies  County Member Don Saylor  Alternate Commissioners

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Yolo LAFCO Agricultural Conservation Policy

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  1. Yolo LAFCO Agricultural Conservation Policy Yolo County Local Agency Formation Commission Commissioners  Public Member Olin Woods, Chair   County Member Matt Rexroad, Vice Chair   City Members Stephen Souza, Skip Davies  County Member Don Saylor  Alternate Commissioners  Public Member Robert Ramming  City Member Bill Kristoff  County Member Jim Provenza 

  2. Agriculture in Yolo • Over 85% of land in Yolo County is used for Agriculture • 92% of land is designated Agricultural or Open Space Land • 67% (450,000 acres) of ag land is in Williamson Act Contract • Over 88% of Yolo County’s residents live in one of four incorporated cities

  3. Yolo LAFCO Ag Conservation Policy • Established in 1994 • Implements Government Code Section 56377, which includes policies and priorities for open space and land conversion

  4. Policy: • Outlines the relationship of LAFCO laws, policies, factors and standards to ag protection • Communicates and clarifies the Commission’s purpose and conservation expectations • Establishes and implements a 1:1 acre agricultural mitigation ratio for prime land

  5. Standards for Easements: • Mitigation Land: • Character • Location • Participation • Vehicle • Land bank • In-lieu fee

  6. Case Study • Clark Pacific Reorganization • 247.7 acre proposal • 101.7 acres of prime agricultural land • Land left fallow for over five years

  7. Prime Land • Federal vs. State law and LAFCO policy • USDA policy: land that would otherwise be prime is classified as Class IV if not irrigated after five years • State/LAFCO Policy: land that qualifies, if irrigated, for Class I or II, whether or not it’s irrigated, provided that irrigation is feasible

  8. Initial Conclusion • Mitigation not required • Initially, did not find evidence of well • Overlying irrigation district could not extend water to site

  9. Irrigation Determined Feasible • Irrigation well located on property: • Out of service, but not abandoned • Capable of providing sufficient irrigation water to site • Could be repaired with modest investment • Used within last 10 years • In close proximity to, but disconnected from, electrical source

  10. Mitigation • Mitigation Banking • Developer purchased 282.37 acres of prime Class I ag land on two properties • Developer funded the acquisition, endowment, and transaction easements for the Yolo Land Trust • Developer used 101.7 acres to mitigate for project • City of Woodland used 40 acres to mitigate for annexation and development of a community center • Remaining 140 acres can be used as mitigation credits; one mitigation credit equals one acre

  11. Looking Ahead • Agriculture remains a strong priority in Yolo County • Challenges may include economic downturn and relaxation of requirements as way to encourage development • Overall, slower growth may protect agricultural land and force jurisdictions to rethink level and type of anticipated development

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