A voluntary federal government program to create conservation easements along the Central Valley foothills is coming up against resistance in San Benito County, with supervisors prepared to draft a resolution opposing the program.
Property owners and attorneys lined up last Tuesday morning to urge the supervisors to express their opposition for the program before a formal environmental report is released for public comment.
“There are about 31 million acres of private land in California,” said John Eade, of Santa Ana Valley, as he pointed to a map highlighting the proposed California Foothills Legacy Area. “In that red donut (the map area), that land encompasses 19 million acres. It is 57 percent of all private land in California.”
He said there are several other agencies also working to use land in San Benito County for conservation efforts.
“I highly recommend you write a letter to oppose the program and oppose any other programs that take away your authority as a board that dictates what you can do,” Eade said.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hosted six public scoping meetings in June 2011 to introduce the idea of CFLA to local residents. The program is a voluntary easement program “intended to protect rangelands surrounding California’s Central Valley,” according to the agency.
The fish and wildlife service states on its website that the rangelands include a rich and varied landscape of grasslands, oak woodlands, vernal pools, riparian areas and wetlands that supports migratory birds, endangered species and native plants.
The study area encompassed 18 million acres along with four focal areas that included the San Benito hills.
Kern and Madera County’s supervisors have already submitted letters opposing the program. Supervisor Jerry Muenzer had spoken with officials from Kern County.
“We need to make sure this is property tax-neutral so we do not end up being harmed by having less property tax because the rights have been sold off,” he said. “It is something I believe a land owner can voluntarily enter into, but I do have a problem with drawing a circle around San Benito County and requiring it.”
Supervisor Margie Barrios said she supported a letter of opposition against the plan, but wanted to go a step further and draft a resolution that would request coordination status with federal and state agencies for items such as this in the future.
The supervisors directed staff to bring a resolution opposition the California Foothill Legacy Area back before the board at a future date.
