SJC Land Bank has provided a summary of last Friday’s meeting

||| FROM TANJA WILLIAMSON for SAN JUAN COUNTY LAND BANK |||

The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank met on Zoom Friday, December 17, 2021, to discuss its agricultural program goals as well as specific goals for Coffelt Farm Preserve on Orcas Island. In addition to Conservation Land Bank staff and Commissioners, members of the public participated during four
public comment periods. Prior written comments were distributed in advance of the meeting.

The morning meeting included a public hearing on the Conservation Land Bank’s Draft Agriculture Goals, Objectives and Policy document released last month. Public comments included the need to allow flexibility and adaptability to future as yet unknown conditions as well as the need to measure baseline
soil health and follow-up monitoring. After deliberating, the Commission requested staff to strengthen key areas of the document with regards to best practices, as well as to consider additional forthcoming recommendations from the SJC Agricultural Resource Committee. The Commission requested an
updated draft agricultural policy for review at its January meeting.

The four-hour Special Meeting on Coffelt Farm Preserve was organized into four topics – Goals / Land Bank Investment / Management Models / Lease. The Commission agreed that the top priority for the farm was producing food for the community, increasing the island’s food security resilience. Other desired goals were for the farm to be a welcoming place for all members of the community, provide educational opportunities for youth and beginning farmers, provide a place for scientific research to be carried out, and, where practical, provide opportunities for shared facilities or equipment for area farmers, acknowledging that achieving these might look differently depending on lessee. Ecological goals for the preserve are already covered in the Preserve’s Stewardship and Management Plan.

The Commission then moved on to discuss the six potential management models recommended for consideration in the Conservation Agriculture Resource Team (CART) report. Their consensus was that the preferred leasing model was a “single farmer lease”, with a possible option for “multiple leases with
multiple farmers” and “non-profit education and research farm”, stating they would put out the request for proposal and see what they get, evaluating all proposals against desired goals for the farm.

Next, the Commission discussed their commitment to continued investment in Coffelt Farm infrastructure. A recently completed Lease Rate and Reserve Study laid out a 10-year schedule of repairs and maintenance needed on the farm, averaging $30,000 per year. The Commission unanimously supported continuing to maintain and upgrade infrastructure at the farm.

Finally, the Commission considered possible components of a Request for Proposals (RFP) regarding a long-term lease, to be awarded at the end of the current interim lease. The Lease Rate and Reserve Study determined a fair market rent of $28,300 per year. The Commissioners accepted the study’s methodology and conclusion with the caveat that the lease rate might be adjusted based on potential lessee’s plans to provide public benefits such as public access, and education. It was pointed out that the final authority for setting the lease rate rests with the County Council.

Regarding lease duration, the Commission acknowledged that the stability of a longer lease encourages lessee investment and stewardship, and settled on a minimum of a five year initial lease with the option to renew to a 10-year or longer lease at the end of that period.

The Commission discussed the CART report’s seven recommendations for consideration for the RFP and Lease – Demonstrated farming experience , Financial viability (detailed financial statements), Ecological sustainability / soil health, Community benefit, Benefit to agricultural community, Agricultural education
/ opportunity for beginning farmers, Require submittal of a detailed business plan as part of RFP – and determined that some of these would be baseline requirements for an applicant to meet while others, such as education and community benefit, would be preferable attributes for in applicant.

Lastly, the Commission appointed a subcommittee composed of members and staff to formulate a Request for Proposals, which will be approved at the January meeting.

About the San Juan County Conservation Land Bank
The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank is a local land conservation program, created by voters in 1990, and funded by a 1% real estate excise tax paid by purchasers of property in San Juan County. Through conservation easements or outright purchases, the Conservation Land Bank protects special places in the Islands fulfilling its mandate to preserve in perpetuity areas in the county that have environmental, agricultural, aesthetic, cultural, scientific, historic, scenic or low-intensity recreational value and to protect existing and future sources of potable water. For more information, call 360-378-4402 or visit sjclandbank.org.