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Appendix to Land Use Current Conditions paper

Contents 1 Placer County Current Agricultural Policy Inventory 1.1 A. Urban and Rural Development Policies 1.2 B. Affordable Housing Requirements 1.3 C. Jobs-housing ratio standards 1.4 D. AG tourism or Economic Development 1.5 E. Right to Farm Ordinance 1.6 F. Open Space/Conservation Policies in GP 1.7 G. Active Ag General Plan Element and/or Easement Programs 1.8 H. Flood Protection Policies 1.9 I. Williamson Act 1.10 J. Transfer of rights disclosure 2 Placer County Open Space and Agricultural Conservation Program 3 Placer County Zoning

Placer County Current Agricultural Policy Inventory

The following text has been extracted from the 1994 Placer County General Plan. It is not an exhaustive list of policies and implementation programs and is not intended to represent the full General Plan document. Also note that Community Plans that have been prepared for the unincorporated communities in the County, such as the Dry Creek West Placer Community Plan and the Granite Bay Community Plan also include policies that call for the preservation of agricultural areas. The purpose of this document is to highlight the policies used to inform the Land Use Current Conditions Inventory paper.

A. Urban and Rural Development Policies

The Rural Residential designation is applied to areas generally located away from cities and unincorporated community centers, in hilly, mountainous, and/or forested terrain and as a buffer zone where dispersed residential development on larger parcels would be appropriate, and compatible with smaller-scale farming and ranching operations.

GP Policies
1.H.4. The County shall allow the conversion of existing agricultural land to urban uses only within community plan areas and within city spheres of influence where designated for urban development on the General Plan Land Use Diagram.

1.H.5.The County shall require development within or adjacent to designated agricultural areas to incorporate design, construction, and maintenance techniques that protect agriculture and minimize conflicts with adjacent agricultural uses.

7.A.2. The County shall ensure that unincorporated areas within city spheres of influence that are designated for agricultural uses are maintained in large parcel sizes of 10-acre minimums or larger.

1.M.1. The County shall concentrate most new growth within existing communities emphasizing infill development, intensified use of existing development, and expanded services, so individual communities become more complete, diverse, and balanced.

B. Affordable Housing Requirements

Draft Housing Element
Policy F-5The County shall continue to facilitate efforts of individuals, private organizations, and public agencies to provide safe and adequate housing for farmworkers.

C. Jobs-housing ratio standards

1.M.2. The County shall encourage large residential projects to be phased or timed to occur simultaneously with development that will provide primary wage-earner jobs.

1.M.3. The County shall encourage the creation of primary wage-earner jobs, or housing which meets projected income levels, in those areas of Placer County where an imbalance between jobs and housing exists.

D. AG tourism or Economic Development

GP Policies
1.N.1. The County shall promote economic expansion based on Placer County\’s unique recreational opportunities and natural resources.

1.N.3. The County shall endeavor to protect the natural resources upon which the County\’s basic economy (e.g., recreation, forestry, agriculture, mining, and tourism) is dependent.

1.N.13. The County shall strive to ensure continued employment opportunities in resource-based industries.

1.N.14. The County shall support development of tourist and recreational facilities that extend the Foothill area\’s tourist season.

1.N.15. The County shall support development of tourist and recreational facilities that extend the High Sierra\’s tourist season.

7.C.1. The County shall attempt to improve the financial viability of the agricultural sector of Placer County\’s economy through actions that have the potential to reduce costs and increase profits.

7.C.2. The County shall promote agricultural operations that provide a competitive edge to Placer County farmers.

7.C.3. The County shall support opportunities to promote and market agricultural products grown or processed within Placer County (such as Farmers\’ Markets) as a part of the economic development activities of local agencies.

7.C.4. The County shall permit a wide variety of promotional and marketing activities for County-grown products in all agricultural zone districts.

7.C.5. The County shall permit on-farm product handling and selling. The County shall permit stands for the sale of agricultural products in any agricultural land use designation to promote and market those agricultural products grown or processed in Placer County. Secondary and incidental sales of agricultural products grown elsewhere may be permitted subject to appropriate approvals.

E. Right to Farm Ordinance

7.B.4. The County shall continue to enforce the provisions of its Right-to-Farm Ordinance and of the existing state nuisance law.

7.B.5. The County shall encourage educational programs to inform Placer County residents of the importance of protecting farmland.

F. Open Space/Conservation Policies in GP

GP Policies
6.B.1. The County shall support the "no net loss" policy for wetland areas regulated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the California Department of Fish and Game. Coordination with these agencies at all levels of project review shall continue to ensure that appropriate mitigation measures and the concerns of these agencies are adequately addressed.

6.B.4. The County shall strive to identify and conserve remaining upland habitat areas adjacent to wetlands and riparian areas that are critical to the survival and nesting of wetland and riparian species.

6.C.1. The County shall identify and protect significant ecological resource areas and other unique wildlife habitats critical to protecting and sustaining wildlife populations.

6.C.6. The County shall support preservation of the habitats of rare, threatened, endangered, and/or other special status species. Federal and state agencies, as well as other resource conservation organizations, shall be encouraged to acquire and manage endangered species\’ habitats.

6.C.7. The County shall support the maintenance of suitable habitats for all indigenous species of wildlife, without preference to game or non-game species, through maintenance of habitat diversity.

6.C.8. The County shall support the preservation or reestablishment of fisheries in the rivers and streams within the County, whenever possible.

6.C.9. The County shall require new private or public developments to preserve and enhance existing native riparian habitat unless public safety concerns require removal of habitat for flood control or other public purposes. In cases where new private or public development results in modification or destruction of riparian habitat for purposes of flood control, the developers shall be responsible for acquiring, restoring, and enhancing at least an equivalent amount of like habitat within or near the project area.

6.E.1. The County shall support the preservation and enhancement of natural land forms, natural vegetation, and natural resources as open space to the maximum extent feasible. The County shall permanently protect, as open space, areas of natural resource value, including wetlands preserves, riparian corridors, woodlands, and floodplains.

7.E.1. The County shall encourage the sustained productive use of forest land as a means of providing open space and conserving other natural resources.

7.E.2. The County shall discourage development that conflicts with timberland management.

7.E.3. The County shall work closely and coordinate with agencies involved in the regulation of timber harvest operations to ensure that County conservation goals are achieved.

7.E.4. The County shall encourage qualified landowners to enroll in the Timberland Production Zone (TPZ) program.

G. Active Ag General Plan Element and/or Easement Programs

Agriculture Element

1.H.1. The County shall maintain agriculturally-designated areas for agricultural uses and direct urban uses to designated urban growth areas and/or cities.

1.H.2. The County shall seek to ensure that new development and public works projects do not encourage expansion of urban uses into designated agricultural areas.

1.H.3. The County will maintain large-parcel agricultural zoning and prohibit the subdivision of agricultural lands into smaller parcels unless such development meets the following conditions: a. The subdivision is part of a cluster project and such a project is permitted by the applicable zoning; b. The project will not conflict with adjacent agricultural operations; and c. The project will not hamper or discourage long-term agricultural operations either on site or on adjacent agricultural lands.

1.H.6. The County shall require new non-agricultural development immediately adjacent to agricultural lands to be designed to provide a buffer in the form of a setback of sufficient distance to avoid land use conflicts between the agricultural uses and the non-agricultural uses. Such setback or buffer areas shall be established by recorded easement or other instrument, subject to the approval of County Counsel. A method and mechanism (e.g., a homeowners association or easement dedication to a non-profit organization or public entity) for guaranteeing the maintenance of this land in a safe and orderly manner shall be also established at the time of development approval.

6.D.14. The County shall require that new development avoid, as much as possible, ecologically-fragile areas (e.g., areas of rare or endangered species of plants, riparian areas). Where feasible, these areas should be protected through public acquisition of fee title or conservation easements to ensure protection.

7.A.1. The County shall protect agriculturally-designated areas from conversion to non-agricultural uses.

7.A.3. The County shall encourage continued and, where possible, increased agricultural activities on lands suited to agricultural uses.

7.A.7. The County shall maintain agricultural lands in large parcel sizes to retain viable farming units.

7.A.8. The County shall encourage infill development in urban areas as an alternative to expanding urban boundaries into agricultural areas.

7.A.11. The County shall support appropriate efforts by private conservation organizations to use conservation easements as a tool for agricultural preservation.

Implementation Program 7.3. The County shall develop a program for the purchase and transfer of development rights as a means to preserve and protect agricultural land. Such a program should identify the most critical farmland for preservation based on physical and economic considerations. The program should identify the most suitable "receiving areas." The County should work with public and private agencies, including the U.S. Soil Conservation Service, the California Department of Conservation, the California Farm Bureau, and the American Farmland Trust., in developing the program.

Responsibility: Planning Department Agricultural Commissioner Time Frame: FY 94-95 Funding Source: General Fund Public Bond

H. Flood Protection Policies

GP Policies
4.E.2. The County shall support efforts to acquire land or obtain easements for drainage and other public uses of floodplains where it is desirable to maintain drainage channels in a natural state.

4.E.5. The County shall continue to implement and enforce its Grading Ordinance and Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance.

4.F.1. The County shall require that arterial roadways and expressways, residences, commercial and industrial uses and emergency facilities be protected, at a minimum, from a 100-year storm event.

4.F.2. The County shall recognize floodplains as a potential public resource to be managed and maintained for the public\’s benefit.

4.F.3. The County shall continue to work closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the resource conservation district, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the State Department of Water Resources, and the Placer County Flood Control District, in defining existing and potential flood problem areas.

4.F.4. The County shall require evaluation of potential flood hazards prior to approval of development projects. The County shall require proponents of new development to submit accurate topographic and flow characteristics information and depiction of the 100-year floodplain boundaries under fully-developed, unmitigated runoff conditions.

4.F.5. The County shall attempt to maintain natural conditions within the 100-year floodplain of all rivers and streams except under the circumstances outlined in the GP.

4.F.6. The County shall continue to coordinate efforts with local, state, and federal agencies to achieve adequate water quality and flood protection.

4.F.7. The County shall cooperate with the Placer County Flood Control and Water Conservation District, surrounding jurisdictions, the cities in the County, and other public agencies in planning and implementing regional flood control improvements.

4.F.8. The County shall, where possible, view flood waters as a resource to be used for waterfowl habitat, aquifer recharge, fishery enhancement, agricultural water supply, and other suitable uses.

4.F.9. The County shall continue to implement floodplain zoning and undertake other actions required to comply with state floodplain requirements, and to maintain the County\’s eligibility under the Federal Flood Insurance Program.

4.F.10. The County shall preserve or enhance the aesthetic qualities of natural drainage courses in their natural or improved state compatible with flood control requirements and economic, environmental, and ecological factors.

4.F.11. To the extent that funding is available, the County shall work to solve flood control problems in areas where existing development has encroached into a floodplain.

4.F.12. The County shall promote the use of natural or non-structural flood control facilities, including off-stream flood control basins, to preserve and enhance creek corridors.

4.F.13. The County shall continue to implement and enforce its Grading Ordinance and Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance.

4.F.14. The County shall ensure that new storm drainage systems are designed in conformance with the Placer County Flood Control and Water Conservation District\’s Stormwater Management Manual and the County\’s Land Development Manual.

I. Williamson Act

7.A.12. The County shall actively encourage enrollments of agricultural lands in its Williamson Act program.

J. Transfer of rights disclosure

GP implementation
7.3. The County shall develop a program for the purchase and transfer of development rights as a means to preserve and protect agricultural land. Such a program should identify the most critical farmland for preservation based on physical and economic considerations. The program should identify the most suitable "receiving areas." The County should work with public and private agencies, including the U.S. Soil Conservation Service, the California Department of Conservation, the California Farm Bureau, and the American Farmland Trust., in developing the program.

Placer County Open Space and Agricultural Conservation Program

The following text has been extracted from the Placer Legacy Open Space and Agricultural Conservation Program.

Chapter 4 of the June 2000 Placer Legacy Implementation Report provides describes how the Placer Legacy objectives can be implemented. The County is divided into a number of geopolitical districts. Each district is described including a description of threats and opportunities for conservation. Each district also includes a list of implementation measures that guide the program. The following is a list of implementation measures from the "Agricultural Valley" and "Sheridan/Garden Bar" districts. These two areas provide the majority of agriculturally-designated land from the Placer County General Plan land use diagram.

• Work with farmers and ranchers to protect agricultural lands outside of designated development areas through the use of conservation easements and by promoting the Williamson Act.
• Promote sales of locally grown produce and help create additional markets for agriculture.
• Coordinate with PCWA, NID, and South Sutter Irrigation District to ensure that water is available for agriculture as well as for habitat conservation and restoration. One option is to initiate a water forum discussion with the area\’s stakeholders.
• Provide resources to assist farmers and ranchers with tax, estate and easement planning.
• Prioritize the acquisition of agricultural property that contains multiple conservation values.
• Protect extensive areas of grazing lands through conservation easements.
• Maintain commercially viable agriculture over a large area by promoting the Williamson Act and encouraging the donation of conservation easements, where appropriate.
• Work with local farm organizations to identify districts or regions where agricultural conservation opportunities can be identified and coordinated.
• Convene a water forum with PCWA, NID and South Sutter Irrigation District to determine how water can be made reliably available for agriculture, as well as habitat conservation and restoration.
• Provide resources to assist farmers and ranchers with tax, estate and easement planning.
• Support the County\’s Right-To-Farm Ordinance provisions.
• Prioritize the acquisition, through purchase of fee title and/or conservation easements, of agricultural property that contains multiple open space resource values.
• Preserve high quality riparian habitat along Auburn Ravine, Coon Creek, Orchard Creek and Pleasant Grove Creek, through a combination of fee title acquisition and conservation easements.
• Encourage the use of rice decomposition water to improve waterfowl and shorebird habitat.
• Preserve, through fee title acquisition and/or conservation easements, large upland grassland areas that also provide specific scenic, recreational or biological values.
• Purchase easements that provide for the restoration of large areas of fresh emergent wetlands as new waterfowl habitat
• Create a large regional park near the south Placer Urban area consistent with adjacent agricultural uses (not necessarily in this study area).
• Identify a location for a regional center recognizing the agriculture, history and traditions of Placer County (not necessarily in this study area).
• Provide certainty to farmers and ranchers concerning the future extent of urban encroachment by coordinating with cities to create permanent greenbelts around urban areas.
• Establish permanent transition areas and buffers between urban/suburban areas and agricultural areas through conservation easements and/or fee title acquisition of lands containing multiple resource values.

Placer County Zoning