UKIAH >> A recent conversation with the Bureau for Land Management (BLM) and the Trust for Public Lands (TPL) resulted in a new option for the Board of Trustee”s consideration at a recent meeting.
The BLM is open to the possibility of purchasing a “conservation easement” from the college that includes the field station and surrounding land and prevents the sale of the property.
A conservation easement can be briefly summarized as “the most traditional tool for conserving private land.”
If the Board of Trustees chooses the route of a conservation easement, it will allow a legal agreement to be drafted between the landowner (Mendocino College) and the government agency (BLM) that permanently limits the use of the land to protect its conservation values, prevent development of the land into perpetuity and allow landowners to continue to own and use their land. Under this type of agreement the college will retain full ownership of the property and will be able to make all decisions regarding use of the property. With this option the college will continue to use the property for educational purposes.
If the conservation easement idea is approved by all parties, the BLM would agree to pay the college to hold the right to enforce the landowner”s promise not to develop the land or use the facilities for non-educational activities. This option does allow the owners to consider sale of the property in the future, but the restrictions on land use would be passed on to the new property owners. Consequently, such a sale would likely bring a significantly reduced value to the property due to the limitations on the land use.
Conservative estimates suggest more than $1 million dollars are needed to bring the building up to acceptable standards and nearly $40,000 a year are required for maintenance. Should the board decide to move forward with the option, the generosity of the community, grants and partnerships must be secured to improve, maintain, and protect the facilities for future educational use by Mendocino College students.
After learning that BLM would support this option, Mendocino College Superintendent/President Arturo Reyes met with members of the college community to share the news.
In Reyes” opinion, the BLM is willing to consider this option to accommodate the interest of the college in maintaining control of the property, limiting the restrictions that BLM ownership may have placed on the property and the fact that the potential income to the college from the conservation easement option and the option presented by the Ad Hoc Committee are similar.
