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Regular 6.
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| LAFCO |
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| Information |
| SUBJECT |
| Consider directing staff to prepare an update to Yolo LAFCo's Agricultural Conservation Policies, adjusting the required mitigation ratio for conservation easements |
| RECOMMENDED ACTION |
| Consider the information and provide direction to staff. |
| FISCAL IMPACT |
| None. Staff time to study the issue further and bring an item to the Commission at a future meeting would be accommodated within our budget. Any additional easement acquisition costs would be borne by developers. |
| REASONS FOR RECOMMENDED ACTION |
This item has been placed on the agenda at the request of Chair Woods.
Farmland conservation easements are one of the most common tools used to mitigate the loss of farmland resulting from urban development. Although the easements themselves do not reduce the net loss of farmland, they partially compensate for the impact by preserving other agricultural land in perpetuity. Yolo LAFCo adopted an Agricultural Conservation Policy in 1994 that required "effective measures to mitigate the loss of agricultural lands", including conservation easements. However, a specific 1:1 mitigation ratio was not added to the policy until 2003 and has not been increased since. Meanwhile, some other agencies have increased their mitigation ratio beyond 1:1.
During the March 28, 2024, meeting, LAFCo approved two annexation proposals: one for the City of Davis and the other for the City of Woodland. The City of Davis required a mitigation ratio of 2:1 and the City of Woodland required a mitigation ratio of 1:1. Chair Woods noted the discrepancy, and requested this item be placed on the agenda for consideration of whether Yolo LAFCo should revisit its policies to increase the ratio for annexations of farmland. If the Commission provided such direction, staff would study the issue further and bring an item to the Commission at a future meeting. |
| BACKGROUND |
Yolo County's Ag Mitigation requirement is 3:1 for prime farmland and 2:1 for non-prime farmland. The City of Davis requires 2:1 mitigation, the cities of West Sacramento and Woodland both require 1:1 mitigation (per adopted General Plans), and the City of Winters does not have an adopted mitigation ratio, as listed in the following table:
| Agency (Year Adopted/Updated) |
Ag Mitigation Ratio |
| City of Davis (2007) |
2:1 |
| City of West Sacramento (2016) |
1:1 |
| City of Winters (NA) |
None |
| City of Woodland (2017) |
1:1 |
| Yolo County (2018) |
3:1 prime/ 2:1 non-prime* |
| Yolo LAFCo (2003) |
1:1 |
* Yolo County easements must be acquired within 2 miles of an urban sphere of influence (SOI). The County's program incentivizes acquisition even closer to SOIs by allowing a 1:1 ratio within "priority conservation areas" (generally lands within 1/4 mile for prime and 1 mile for non-prime ag lands or other priority areas as defined). |
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