To: Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District
Staff Name and Phone Number: Curtis Kendall, 707/565-7351
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): Fifth
Title:
Title
Camp Meeker Forest Open Space Preserve Conservation Easement Acquisition
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (Ag + Open Space) to:
A) Make certain determinations pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act and direct the filing of a notice of exemption; and
B) Make certain findings and authorize the amendment of the Aho-Chenoweth Conservation Easement in accordance with Ag + Open Space’s Easement Amendment Policy; and
C) Authorize up to $2,225,000 and escrow costs for Ag + Open Space’s funding of Camp Meeker Recreation & Park District’s purchase of the fee interest in the Camp Meeker Forest Open Space Preserve property and Ag + Open Space’s acquisition of a Conservation Easement and Recreation Covenant over the Property; and
D) Determine that the acquisition is consistent with the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District’s Expenditure Plan and the 2020 Sonoma County General Plan; and
E) Approve and authorize the Board President to execute the Conservation Easement and Recreation Covenant in a form on file with the Clerk, along with associated certificates of acceptance; and
F) Consent to the recordation of an irrevocable offer of dedication in favor of Ag + Open Space pursuant to Public Resources Code §5565.5;
G) Authorize the General Manager to take all other actions necessary to complete this transaction, in consultation with County Counsel.
(4/5th Vote Required) (Fifth District)
end
Executive Summary:
Camp Meeker Forest Open Space Preserve is a 356-acre property, located in and around Camp Meeker, California (“Property”). The Property is owned by the Episcopal Bishop of California and the Saint Dorothy’s Rest Association, (“Church/SDR”). Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (“Ag + Open Space”), in collaboration with the Camp Meeker Recreation & Park District (“CMRPD”), is proposing to contribute funds towards the purchase of fee title to the Property. CMRPD will take title to the Property and convey a Conservation Easement and recreation conservation covenant to Ag + Open Space at closing.
CMRPD intends to manage the Property for natural resource protection and recreation. The majority of the Property is located west of the Camp Meeker community with portions wrapping the southern part of the community along Dutch Bill Creek and along other creeks and drainages. The Property is visible from nearly every part of Camp Meeker and from at least two miles of Bohemian Highway. The Property is undeveloped and historically was managed for timber production. Under the Church/SDR’s ownership, the Property has been used for hiking and camping by Saint Dorothy’s Rest and for hiking by Camp Meeker residents.
Discussion:
Property Characteristics / Project Significance
The Property is dominated by coast redwood and Douglas-fir forest habitat within in the Dutch Bill Creek watershed. One and eight tenths (1.8) miles of Dutch Bill Creek are within or along the edge of the Property. Dutch Bill Creek is a steelhead and coho salmon creek recognized as critical to the coho salmon recovery effort. An unnamed perennial tributary to Dutch Bill Creek originates at Baumert Springs, a pair of springs nestled in a coast redwood stand and flows a half mile across and along the property before joining Dutch Bill Creek. There are a number of unnamed intermittent and ephemeral drainages that originate on the Property and flow to Dutch Bill Creek. The Property is a major part of the Dutch Bill Creek headwaters, contributing clean, cool water to Dutch Bill Creek throughout the year, which helps maintain suitable habitat for steelhead and salmon.
Project Structure
Ag + Open Space staff have negotiated Conservation Easement terms with CMRPD that preserves the Property’s scenic qualities, protects the property’s natural resources, and requires the Property be held under a single common ownership. The Conservation Easement will also allow recreational and educational opportunities consistent with the protection and preservation of the Property’s natural resources. The provisions of the recreation conservation covenant require the Property to remain open to the public for recreational and educational purposes in perpetuity. Public access will be available on the Property immediately following closing. The project structure, terms of the conservation easement, will restrict structures and improvements to no more than 2.5% of the Property. Allowed structures and improvements include improvements for recreational and educational uses, natural resource protection use, and for public utility infrastructure.
In 1995, Ag + Open Space accepted the 1995 Conservation Easement over a portion of the Property (APNs 074-110-003 and 074-120-001) as a result of a settlement agreement between the County of Sonoma and the original landowner regarding a request for a Certificate of Compliance over an adjacent parcel. The 1995 Conservation Easement is known as the Aho-Chenoweth Conservation Easement (Sonoma County Document No. 1995-0340241) that covers a narrow 13.3-acre strip of land spanning both sides of Dutch Bill Creek on the east side of Bohemian Highway.
Ag + Open Space wishes to amend and replace the 1995 Aho-Chenoweth Conservation Easement with the Camp Meeker Forest Open Space Preserve Conservation Easement (“Camp Meeker Easement”) to streamline easement stewardship moving forward. Ag + Open Space has drafted the Camp Meeker Easement in a manner to ensure that the original Aho-Chenoweth Conservation Easement’s restrictions are carried forward in perpetuity, consistent with California Public Resources Code Section 5540.
Ag + Open Space has included the following restrictions in the Camp Meeker Easement to ensure it contains protections equal to or greater than the Aho-Chenoweth Conservation Easement which is consistent with the Ag + Open Space Easement Amendment Policy:
• Include preservation of open space, natural, and scenic values in the Camp Meeker Easement’s Conservation Purpose.
• Establish a Natural Area over the Aho-Chenoweth Conservation Easement parcels (APNs 074-110-003 and 074-120-001) and restrict uses within the Natural Area to:
o Only permit recreational uses and related improvements that require no significant surface alteration or other development of the land.
o Prohibit use of motorized vehicles except as for emergencies, fire control purposes, or uses pursuant to deed rights that pre-date the easement.
o Prohibit special events, except that incidental hiking in this area during events may be permitted.
o Prohibit above-ground utilities serving offsite uses.
o Prohibit commercial uses.
o Prohibit signage.
Vital Lands Initiative
Camp Meeker Forest Open Space Preserve offers residents and visitors of Camp Meeker and Sonoma County additional opportunities to connect with nature in public open spaces. Conserving this Property meets multiple objectives described in the following Vital Lands Initiative Goals:
• Community Identity - Protect open lands that surround and differentiate the County’s urban areas and contribute to the unique scenic character of the County.
• Healthy Communities - Protect open space and publicly accessible lands in and near cities and communities and connect people with protected lands.
• Water - Protect natural lands and aquatic habitats that support sustainable aquatic ecosystems and water resources.
• Wildlands - Protect natural lands and terrestrial habitats that support plants, wildlife, and biodiversity.
Sonoma County General Plan 2020
The project furthers several goals in Sonoma County’s General Plan 2020, specifically in the Open Space and Resource Conservation, Water Resources, and Land Use Elements as noted in, but not limited to, the following below:
• Preserve the visual identities of communities by maintaining open space areas between cities and communities. (Goal OSRC-1)
• Identify and preserve roadside landscapes that have a high visual quality as they contribute to the living environment of local residents and the County’s tourism economy. (Goal OSRC-3)
• Retain and enhance the unique character of each of the County’s unincorporated communities, while accommodating projected growth and housing needs. (Goal OSRC-5)
• Preserve the unique rural and natural character of Sonoma County for residences, businesses, visitors and future generations. (Goal OSRC-6)
• Protect and enhance the County’s natural habitats and diverse plant and animal communities. (Goal OSRC-7)
• Protect and enhance Riparian Corridors and functions along streams, balancing the need for agricultural production, urban development, timber and mining operations, and other land uses with the preservation of riparian vegetation, protection of water resources, flood control, bank stabilization, and other riparian functions and values. (Goal OSRC-8)
• Preserve, sustain and restore forestry resources for their economic, conservation, recreation, and open space values. (Goal OSRC-12)
• Establish a countywide park and trail system that meets future recreational needs of the County’s residents while protecting agricultural uses. The emphasis of the trial system should be near urban areas and on public lands. (Goal OSRC-17)
• Provide for adequate parklands and trails primarily in locations that are convenient to urban areas to meet the outdoor recreation needs of the population, while not negatively impacting agricultural uses. (Objective OSRC-17.1)
• Protect, restore and enhance the quality of surface and groundwater resources to meet the needs of all reasonable beneficial uses. (Goal WR-1)
• Preservation of important scenic features. (Goal LU-10)
Ag + Open Space’s Expenditure Plan
The Project is consistent with Ag + Open Space’s Expenditure Plan, because it preserves community separators and greenbelts; scenic landscapes and scenic corridors; biotic habitat areas, riparian corridors, and other areas of biotic significance, while offering opportunities for public recreation.
Ag + Open Space Fiscal Oversight Commission Approval
The Doré Group conducted an appraisal and found the fair market value of the fee simple interest of the Property to be $2,225,000. On July 11, 2024, The Fiscal Oversight Commission, in approving Resolution No. 2024-003, concluded that the appraisal met the Ag + Open Space Guidelines and Standards and the acquisition of fee title by Camp Meeker Recreation & Parks District and acquisition of a Recreation Covenant by Ag + Open Space as a condition of Ag + Open Space’s contribution up to the appraised value towards the fee purchase of the Property does not result in Ag + Open Space paying more than the fair market value for the acquisition of such interests.
CEQA
Pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21080.28(a)(1)(A), (B) & (F) and Section 15325(a), (c) & (f) of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, the acquisition is exempt from CEQA because the purpose of the acquisition is to preserve the natural condition of the Property, including plant and animal habitats; the restoration of natural conditions including plant and animal habitats; and the preservation of open space or lands for park purposes. This acquisition is also exempt from CEQA pursuant to Sections 15316 and 15317 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations because the purpose of the acquisition is to provide for a park and to maintain the open space character of the area.
Prior Board Actions:
Per resolution 95-0429 accepting a Conservation Easement and assignment of development rights from Pat Chenoweth-Aho et al in the vicinity of Occidental/Camp Meeker Road (April 11, 1995).
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 24-25 Adopted |
FY 25-26 Projected |
FY 26-27 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$2,225,000 |
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$2,225,000 |
|
|
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
$2,225,000 |
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$2,225,000 |
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Ag + Open Space has adequate appropriations in its FY 24-25 budget for the $2,225,000 funding for fee and Conservation Easement acquisition, which is funded by Sonoma County voter approved Measure F.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
1. General Plan Map 2020
2. Location Map
3. Site Map
4. Project Structure Map
5. Resolution
6. Notice of Exemption
7. Conservation Easement
8. Certificates of Acceptance
9. Recreation Conservation Covenant
10. Irrevocable Offer of Dedication
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
N/A