Hearst Ranch Conservation Project

The Coastal Conservancy is continuing to work with other state agencies (the State Parks Department and the Department of Fish and Game/Wildlife Conservation Board), the American Land Conservancy and Hearst representatives to gather information on Hearst Ranch and evaluate conservation opportunities. We are meeting frequently and spending a lot of time on this project, but we are not at a point where we have answers to your questions about timing and price.

You asked about public hearings. Every grant the Coastal Conservancy makes is considered in a public hearing. For dates and locations of the five meetings planned for 2004, please see our website at www.scc.ca.gov. Proposed actions regarding Hearst could be heard at any of these meetings, and public notice for those meetings is made at least 10 days in advance.

At least 30 days before a formal action on the Hearst Ranch project is taken, though, we plan to hold a public information meeting in the vicinity of the ranch. Information presented at that meeting would include proposed project cost, timing, exactly what property interests would be acquired, and what benefits the public would gain (new public access, protection of scenic, agricultural and natural resources, etc.). We would expect to hold that informational meeting in conjunction with State Parks and the Wildlife Conservation Board.

Finally, for every project that our board approves, a staff member (like me) writes a report called a staff recommendation. These are available for the public to review before each meeting. Please be assured that you are on my mailing list to receive that report.

I will keep you posted on our progress, Gary. Please call me at (510) 286-4164 if I can answer any more questions.

State Coastal Conservancy
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Mary Agatha Furth Center
(adjacent to Our Lady of Guadalupe Church)
8400 Old Redwood Hwy
Windsor, CA 95492

Hearst Ranch Conservation Area

Directions: (TBD). The Hearst Ranch agenda item will heard after 12 noon.

On Wednesday, September 15, 2004 the State Coastal Conservancy will hold a hearing to fund the final portion of the Hearst Ranch Conservation Project. If this grant is approved we will protected our North Coast for ever. Please take the time to let them know you support the project.

Outcome:

On September 15, 2004, The State Coastal Conservancy unanimously approved the grant for $34.5 Million for the Project. The exact resolution to follow.

What Action needs to be taken?
(None at this time, grant has been approved)

It is important for the general public to show support for the project. Below are three things you can do to help. Items 1 and 2 are the most important.

3. Attend the hearing to show support.

Resources Agency Project Summaries: The Resources agencies have released three overall transaction summaries for the project. They are listed below.

SCC Staff Report:

Staff Recomendation:

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Authorization to disburse up to $34,500,000 to the Wildlife Conservation Board, as part of a series of conveyances designed to conserve the Hearst Ranch both east and west of Highway 1, toward: 1) acquisition of a conservation easement by a nonprofit organization over approximately 80,000 acres east of Highway 1 on the Hearst Ranch in San Luis Obispo County; 2) acquisition of interests in the 906-acre Junge Ranch east and west of Highway 1 by a nonprofit organization and the State, through a tax credit program or otherwise.

The complete Staff Report is available at:

3. Attend the hearing to show support.

Resources Agency Project Summaries: The Resources agencies have released three overall transaction summaries for the project. They are listed below.

WCB Staff Report

The WCB Staff Report is no online, it is item #35.

http://www.wcb.ca.gov/pdf/August2004FinalAgenda.pdf

Below is the Staff's recommendation:

Staff recommends that the Board approve this project as proposed contingent
upon the other state agency parties approving and funding this transaction as
described; allocate $28,500,000.00 from the Water Security, Clean Drinking
Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Fund of 2002 (Prop. 50), Section 79565, to
cover the Board’s portion of the Grant amount; authorize acceptance of the State
Coastal Conservancy grant funds directly into escrow to assist with the
transaction; approve the donation and related tax credits subject to appropriate
legislative authority to do so; allocate $6,000.000.00 from the Water Security,
Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Fund of 2002 (Prop. 50),
Section 79565, to apply towards the Board’s proportional share of the proposed
$15,000,000.00 tax credit reimbursement; authorize staff to enter into appropriate
agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the
Department of Fish and Game to proceed substantially as planned.

Other Documents

Hearst Ranch West Side Access Comparison - showing access is actually increased, not decreased as some believe.

Motion Passed on August 12, 2004

Below is the motion that was recommended by Al Wright and approved August 12 by WCB:

Staff recommends that the Board approve this project; allocate $28,500,000.00 from the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Fund of 2002 (Prop. 50), Section 79565, to cover the Board’s portion of the Grant Amount; authorize acceptance of the State Coastal Conservancy grant funds directly into escrow to assist with the transaction; approve the donation and related tax credits subject to appropriate legislative authority to do so; allocate $6,000,000.00 from the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Fund of 2002 (Prop. 50), Section 79565, to apply towards the Board’s proportionate share of the proposed $15,000,00.00 tax credit reimbursement; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the Department of Fish and Game to proceed substantially as planned, subject to the following conditions: (a) that the State Coastal Conservancy and the Public Works Board each consider the conservation transaction, and approve and authorize funding for the transaction as applicable; (b) that, prior to funding the Board’s portion of the Grant amount, staff and the Department of Fish and Game review and approve a Baseline Conditions Report and Monitoring Protocol; and (c) that the following areas of concern be resolved to the satisfaction of staff: (1) application of viewshed protection standards for structures, (i.e. buildings of sufficient size) that could impair the viewshed as seen from Highway One or Hearst-San Simeon State Historical Monument (Hearst Castle); (2) clarification that Highway One viewshed protection standards apply to the alignment of Highway One as it exists at the time of establishing each owner homesite parcel; (3) provision in the East Side Conservation Easement that the Management Plan shall prescribe actions consistent with sustaining a combination of agriculture operations, natural resources and habitats with the portions of the Easement Area used for range, cropland or other agriculture operations; and (4) incorporation of standards within the Monitoring Protocol to guide California Rangeland Trust’s determination regarding when there has been “impairment” of Conservation Values as defined in East Side Conservation Easement.

Hearst Ranch Project Presentation
Thursday, July 15, 2004, 6:30 p.m.
Cayucos Veterans Hall, Cayucos, CA
(Near the Cayucos Pier)

The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. but the actual meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. At the meeting there will be a presentation on the project details, with maps and displays outlining the project itself, followed by a period of questions answers, and possibly different experts will be on hand to answer questions as well.

The actual funding of the project will be discussed at the following public meetings.

Proposed transaction documents, maps, and meeting schedules may be found starting July 12 on the Resources Agency website at www.resources.ca.gov. Information about the upcoming Wildlife Conservation Board and Coastal Conservancy meetings may be found at www.dfg.ca.gov/wcb and www.coastalconservancy.ca.gov.

--- Details have been posted as of Monday, July 12, 2004 ---
To view the main page <Click Here>
--- For the Project Summary and other transaction documents ---
<Click Here>

We hope to also provide additional links to the documentation when it becomes available. They may also be posted on this site as well.

In addition, to the meeting we believe there will be a local Lion's Club or other organization providing snacks or sandwiches prior to the start of the meeting for those interested at a nominal cost allowing more people to attend the meeting.

Below you will find our synthesis of the agreement. It is drawn from information we have gathered. Please browse this website for additional details.

The development rights being reduced and extinguished are assessed at $200 million. The Hearsts will receive less than $100 million in payment and donate the balance.

To make sure the project continues to mover forward we would like you to do the following things.

1. Attend this meeting if at all possible to show support for the project and make sure our North Coast is protected in perpetuity.

2. Send and e-mail to the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) expressing support for the project.

3. Pass this information on to your friends as everyone is invited to this important meeting.

Additional Information:

We are not sure but there may be a web link to pertinent project documents prior to the meeting for review. We will post that link here if it becomes available

San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) Hearing,
May 5, 2004, 8:30 a.m.,
SLO County Board of Supervisor Chambers
(FTIP Amendment was passed)

On May 5, 2004, the San Luis Obispo Council of Governments (SLOCOG) unanimously approved an amendment to Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) which allows the California Transportation Commission (CTC) to consider a grant of $23 million for the Hearst Ranch Conservation Project. This hearing will happen on May 13th, 2004. The approval of this grant will provide a basis for completion of the project. The release of the details has been delayed at the request of the State. ALC and Hearst are complying with this request. Also at this meeting we were told the public will get a chance to review the project prior to any funding being released for the project.

We really appreciate SLOCOG's professional handling of the meeting and taking the time to answer the questions asked by the public during this hearing.

As a courtesy to our supporters we have provided a link to the SLOCOG Agenda and Staff Report. To view the report click on the link below.

Additional Public Involvement