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<br />
<br />DEC-0S-S8 11.30 FROM.M,B,S,S,
<br />
<br />I:lnd Tr\,!st~
<br />
<br />(Continued from page 340)
<br />
<br />deed restrictions, But in an rbanl21ng environ-
<br />ment, It may be nec 0 accept voluntary
<br />~trictions such as th found in conservatio
<br />easements,
<br />The Ven= Coun arm Bureau's action s signifi-
<br />cant because II: rep nu a recoption bye-scale,
<br />commercial agrtcult at the local level t it is time
<br />to begln to shape d then accept the nd preser-
<br />vation 'solutio of the day. In re Or orderly local
<br />planning and economic cnrno t that will
<br />encour.tge a culturnl profitabili ,some restrictions
<br />are =ep Ie,
<br />I' d prese<vation thr the use of agriculroral
<br />co tion easements can . be part of the mix to
<br />achi e the goal sought, eJ\.1'= required to as
<br />ble eaningful contlguo blocks of land under ease-
<br />1$, over c:x1:ensive of the agricultural pt cing
<br />regions of Aroma w Uld be prohibitiv<:, While th
<br />Maryland and Pe IV3.llia each have over 1 ,000 acres
<br />in conservation ents, achieving that t has
<br />taken twO d of slgnillcant effort a great deal of
<br />money, How uch greater effort and pell5C would be
<br />required to chieve the same perc ge result in Fresno
<br />County, . omia, for aample, nation's number one
<br />agricul county? There are er 950,000 acres of farm-
<br />land Fresno CO\lnty that w d qualify for an agricul-
<br />consc.rvation easement der the measuring criteria
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Mitigation Banking
<br />(ContinuedfrQm page 344)
<br />
<br />able impactS. EPA Insisted that regulators continue to
<br />apply sequencing requirements to minlmize projcct
<br />impacts to existing wetlands and that b3nkIng be uscd
<br />only to compensate for unavoidable impactS,
<br />To address the COncerns of the: regulatory agencies.
<br />the foundatiOn signed an agreement with the Ohio
<br />Department of Natural Resources (ON'll) setting forth
<br />its obligations and the process for developing the
<br />Hebron site, Under the agreement, the foundation took
<br />responsibility for wetlands restoration and for monitor-
<br />ing the restored wetlands for five years, CUrrently, the
<br />Hebron site Is in its fifth year of monitoring and ONR.
<br />will accept the site after the final inspection in 1998,
<br />Upon DNR's acceptance, the foundation pays a one.
<br />time $1,000 per-acre maintenance fee and is relieved of
<br />any further obligation, The foundation also has agreed
<br />informally to limit the sale of credits from the Hebron
<br />site to nationwide pennit holders ,,'Ith five acreS or less
<br />of wetland Impacts.
<br />The Hebron site opened in fall 1993 and credits to
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<br />ID.970 247 8827
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<br />for mOSt programs.
<br />The answer lies' a varied land preservatiOn
<br />menu for a Sltl3rt wth goal. 1bat menu sho
<br />contain right-t arm ordinances, agrlcul zoning,
<br />preferential petty taX trc:=ent. mi tion fees,
<br />urban' , lines. agricultural buffer es, Improved
<br />urban sign, density minimums, nic:ipal infiIl-in
<br />short any of the groW'th man ment topics exam-
<br />ine In this Issue, Conscrva.ti easements are only
<br />e menu item,
<br />In an Informational chure distributed by .AFT
<br />outlining twenty way, ocal governments can protect
<br />farmland, only fo be characterized as reIa.tin
<br />directly to the c cept of protecting fannland ugh
<br />the use of co tion easements. Twenty ays Local
<br />Governm Can Protect Farmland, ' FAR.'lIA.'ro
<br />Ta, (un ed),
<br />and trUSt at the local I
<br />er and adminh;trator of a' tural cOnseIVation
<br />~cntS and as a magnet ~ land preselYation funding,
<br />an also setVe as a gene ucation ==e for land
<br />conservation. It can ' the local public's :rw-areness of
<br />the Importance of a viable agricultural economy and
<br />promote un ding that the continuation of agricul,
<br />ture in uro " regions is not possible without a
<br />planned program that has as twO important components,
<br />predictability and some degree of permanence, ~
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />all thirty-three acres sold out at 56.800 per acre by
<br />spring 1994, New habitat was created for the endan-
<br />gered Massasauga or "swamp. rattlesnake that was
<br />found on the: site during restoration,
<br />In fall 1994, the foundation completed a second
<br />bank in partnership with DNR on 292 acres at Big
<br />Island, an island of upland that was historically sur'
<br />rounded by a. sea of wet ptuirle C3.llcd tCc K.:!deer
<br />Plains before pioneers converted the wetlands to farm
<br />fields, AU but thirty-five acres of the credits in the bank
<br />have been sold, and a vestige of the prairie ecosystem
<br />will be restored. The foundation has underukc:n anoth.
<br />er bank of 108 acres at Sandy Ridge:, Ohio, where it
<br />complcted wetland construction in 1997, Half of the
<br />credits in that bank are sold. The foundation's client
<br />base has expanded to include public agencic=s such as
<br />the Ohio Oepartmenr of TransportatiOn. which
<br />received approval to purchase credits from the founda-
<br />tion to compensate for wetland impactS of state high'
<br />w-ay pr9jects, Also in 1997, the Foundation repaid the
<br />
<br />NR&E Summer 1998
<br />
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