LAKEPORT >> The Lake County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in support of state legislation that would make the region a part of a conservancy covering the inner coast of Northern California.
At its regular meeting this week, District 3 Supervisor Jim Steele said he sponsored the resolution because the goals of state conservation — providing recreational opportunities for large and remote populations, ensuring sustainable agricultural lands and preserving wild lands — match up to the interests of Lake County.
“I think this has a chance of creating opportunities for the County in many directions,” Steele said.
The supervisor then introduced Bob Snyder of Tuleyome, a non-profit environmental organization working to protect the Berryessa Snow Mountain Region. He claimed that this bill would be similar to the operation of the Sierra Nevada Conservancy.
“This is bringing state funds to people and has a very strong regional voice,” Snyder said. “It gets jobs on the ground.”
According to the bill (which Steele said will be pushed by Senator Lois Wolk and Assemblyman Bill Dodd), the conservancy would have its own board through the State’s Resources Agency and is meant to help local economies through project funding via state bond measures like Proposition 1, which went to the Sierra conservancy.
However, some board members had questions about the bill’s specifics and the board’s authority. District 1 Supervisor Jim Comstock asked about private landowners rights in the proposed region, to which Snyder claimed that the agency couldn’t enact eminent domain.
Additionally, he assured him that water rights would stay with the counties.
“Sometimes federal or state monies come with restrictions,” he said. “I think this is the easiest way to make sure those restrictions are appropriate.”
District 4 Supervisor Anthony Farrington said he felt that the bill wasn’t specific enough to address the watershed restoration, toxic algae, and invasive species.
The Sierra Nevada Conservancy has done watershed projects, Snyder responded.
“This is a push for getting what we need… this a pretty important region for the state,” he said. “Lake County’s set for this. There’s the ability to increase capacity. ”
The vote was unanimous, 5-0.
