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Home Resource Center In the News Home Greenbelt Alliance in the News |
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Greenbelt Alliance In the News
January 22, 2002 Disparate Factions Work on Land Study Subheading By Tom Chorneau Farmers and environmentalists who crossed swords two years ago over a controversial plan to give voters the final say on rural development projects are now sitting across the table on a collaborative $200,000 land preservation project. The Rural Heritage Initiative, defeated by Sonoma County voters in November 2000, would have required voter approval for most building projects proposed for agricultural areas of the county. Opponents said the measure was poorly crafted and not needed. Supporters claimed the county needs new safeguards to protect open space and farmland from sprawl because of mounting economic pressures. In the wake of that bitter face-off between farmers and conservationists, a committee from both groups has been formed to consider new ideas for protecting the county's rural areas under terms acceptable to landowners, organizers say. "During the campaign in 2000, the opponents of Measure I agreed to ... talk about the land use issues facing our community," said Eric Koenigshofer, a Santa Rosa attorney and representative of the farmers community who is co-chair of the land use group. "That's exactly what is going on here." While group members are still developing their program, the grant from
the James Irvine Foundation will be used to audit land use in Sonoma County
going back decades. Data will be collected on both building and agricultural
development, parcel by parcel. The aim is to have an easy-to-assess, fact-based
picture of the county that would allow discussions over how to deal with
future growth pressures. Tom Steinbach, executive director of the Greenbelt Alliance, one of the Bay Area's largest environmental groups, said the project at a minimum brings the two sides together on common ground. "We are really very early in the process, but clearly the first step is to bring the agricultural and environmental communities together to talk abut the future of land use in Sonoma County," he said. Also on the committee representing Greenbelt Alliance are Rohnert Park City Councilman Jake Mackenzie and Dee Swanhuyser, also of the Bay Ridge Bay Area Ridge Trail Council. Joining Koenigshofer are Lex McCorvey, John Bucher and Ray Mulas -- all members of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau. Peter Ascroft, John Blayney and George Davis are also on the committee and represent the original organizers of the Rural Heritage Initiative; Nick Frey, executive director of the Sonoma County Grape Growers Association and Bob Anderson, head of United Wine Growers round out the committee. You can reach Staff Writer Tom Chorneau at 521-5214 or tchorneau@pressdemocrat.com. ### |
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