[Sosfbay-discuss] The Farmland Connection

[Wes Rolley]

I read an interesting story 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6582571.stm  on the BBC web site 
this morning.  The headlines were that "Pollution 'hits China's 
farmland'"  How big is the problem?
> Arable land shrank by nearly 307,000 hectares (760,000 acres) in the 
> first 10 months of 2006, government officials were quoted as saying.
We have a similar problem in California, only we are not looking at the 
total in any one statistic.  We are nibbling away at the edges, a little 
bit every day as more and more farmland is converted to residential 
development so that working people can afford to have the American Dream 
and spend too much of their lives in a car driving to work.

At least one group is doing something about it.  The Farmland Working 
Group, based in Stanislaus County, is pushing the idea that developers 
who want to build in farmland must mitigate the effect of that by 
purchasing agricultural easements, protecting an equal amount of land 
for agricultural use in perpetuity.

It is nearly too late for that in Santa Clara County.  When the Olson 
Cherry Farm was developed in Sunnyvale, it marked the end of an era.  
The last vestiges of agriculture are to be found in Coyote Valley and in 
the unincorporated areas South of Morgan Hill. The management of 
unincorporated lands is part of the responsibilities of the Santa Clara 
County _L_ocal _A_gency _F_ormation _CO_mission. 
<http://www.santaclara.lafco.ca.gov/>  (LAFCO).

> LAFCO’s mission is to discourage urban sprawl, preserve open space and 
> prime agricultural lands, promote the efficient provision of 
> government services and encourage the orderly formation of local 
> agencies. LAFCO will consider impacts to agricultural lands along with 
> other factors in its evaluation of proposals.
LAFCO had two issues on it's current agenda.  One is the incorporation 
(finally) of the Town of San Martin.  The other was the adoption of 
Agricultural Lands Mitigation Policy 
<http://www.santaclara.lafco.ca.gov/pdf-files/Revised4thDRFTAgMitigationPolicy3.pdf> 
similar to that which is recommended by the Farmland Working Group.  The 
language that LAFCO finally adopted was "advisory" in nature and 
ultimately will be meaningless. The Cities involved (San Jose, Morgan 
Hill, Gilroy) did not want this as it limits their decision making and 
their ability to manage growth, always an objective for Cities as it 
brings more property tax revenue. 

As we continue to watch what is happening in Coyote Valley, we need to 
continuously watch was the City of San Jose is doing and how well it 
meets the LAFCO guidelines. 

-- 

I have been impressed with the urgency of doing.
Knowing is not enough; we must apply.
Being willing is not enough; 
We must do. –Leonardo DaVinci
Wesley C. Rolley
17211 Quail Court
Morgan Hill, CA 95037
(408)778-3024 - http://cagreening.blogspot.com