Yreka, Calif. — The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors is
looking at the future of Williamson Act lands in the county
and is hoping to involve the landowners as it moves forward.
Tuesday, the board heard recommendations from Greg Plucker,
deputy director of planning, regarding his recommendations
for moving forward with the Williamson Act program in the
county.
Plucker was before the board with a status update on the way
the program is currently run in the county, reviewing the
results of surveys sent to the 464 program participants.
Plucker said that 419 participants responded, and while the
majority appeared to be in compliance with the act’s
guidelines, a number of responses “indicated compliance
issues.”
In order to address the compliance issues, Plucker suggested
two strategies – to form a Williamson Act working group to
make recommendations for handling non-compliant and
non-renewing contracts and to review the county’s policies
to bridge the gaps in oversight.
“Staff believes we need to look at the policies in light of
today’s reality,” Plucker said, explaining further that the
current policies also allow a number of uses beyond
agriculture, including open space designations, wildlife
habitat and others.
Also discussed at Tuesday’s meeting was the passage of
Assembly Bill 2530, recently signed by the governor, which
allows counties to change contract terms at the contract
renewal period in order to restore some of the revenue that
the state has failed to reimburse.
Plucker suggested that the board hold a public hearing to
gather input from contract holders on whether the county
should implement the bill’s measures to increase general
fund revenues.
The board approved Plucker’s recommendations, with a public
hearing set for October 26 at 9 a.m. Plucker explained that
the board is not making a decision at the meeting, but is
only gathering input before making a decision.
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