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Home My WebLink About1992-11-24 - AGENDA REPORTS - NONPROFIT LAND TRUST (2)AGENDA REPORT City Manager Approval Item to be presented b7-.4 -. CONSENT CALENDAR DATE: November 24, 1992 SUBJECT: Nonprofit Land Trusts DEPARTMENT: Parks and Recreation BACKGROUND Ren lskam and the Acquisition of Open Space On September 17, 1992, the Parks and Recreation Commission recommended that Council instruct staff to negotiate with the Trust for Public Land, a nonprofit land trust, for the acquisition of open space in the City of Santa Clarita. The City Council has previously enthusiastically approved the strategy for open space acquisition. Staff was instructed to further research the availability of nonprofit public land trusts in addition to the Trust for Public Land, and determine.their willingness to work with the City. On February 11, 1992, staff presented to Council findings regarding public land trusts. The largest of the nonprofit agencies is the Trust for Public Land. The Trust for Public Land has successfully negotiated many land acquisition arrangements with a variety of government agencies. The Trust for Public Land indicated that they were interested in becoming involved in an open space land acquisition arrangement for the City of Santa Clarita, and that there would be few or no up -front fees required. They are by all accounts the best. Council expressed concerns over the Trust for Public Land's involvement in a land swap deal with the U.S. Forest Service and the BKK Corporation. The pending land transfer, although seen as a desirable transaction by the Forest Service, may also facilitate the BKK Corporation's subsequent desire to open a landfill in the Elsmere Canyon area. The Trust for Public Land in no 'way supports the Elsmere Canyon landfill, nor does it take a political position on the issue. The Trust for Public Land's involvement is in the land transfers between the BKK Corporation and the Forest Service. They have been hired by the City's opponents for the Elsmere project because they have proven themselves to be successful. Staff has contacted eight additional nonprofit land trusts Attachment A). Six of those agencies responded, including the Land Alliance, an organization of 900 nonprofit land trusts nationwide. following list outlines information on each of the land trusts. - RP NO rusts. I (see Trust The Nub Iten-Zi- Nonprofit Land Trusts and the Acquisition of Open Space Page 2 Trust Name and Location Land Trust Alliance Washington, D.C. American Land Conservancy San Francisco, CA The Nature Conservancy San Francisco, CA Conservation Resources Oakland, CA Sempervirens Fund Los Altos, CA American Farmland Trust Washington, D.C. Response National organization of 900 trusts nationwide. Referred us to the Trust for Public Land or the Nature Conservancy. Interested in working with City. Founder and president is former regional manager for the Trust for Public Land that originally staffed Elsmere project for BKK. Small staff and trust fund would require City funds up -front for appraisals, surveys, maps, and studies. In person visit 1/27/92. In existence for three years. No response to letter. Past phone calls indicated interest in endangered species. habitat areas of large size only. For-profit corporation interested in cooperative land acquisition with public and nonprofit conservation agencies. No- response to letter. Interested only in preservation of active productive farmlands. California Botanical Habitat Focus is on acquisition of open space funded Santa Monica, CA through partial development of the site. One-person operation. Limited resources. The Environmental Trust Interested in working with City. In San Diego, CA existence for 1-1/2 years. Emphasis on Southern California and San Diego areas. Also offers long-term management services and conservancy program. Small staff and trust fund would require City funds for appraisals, surveys, studies, and management. The Trust for Public Land Interested in working with the City in open San Francisco, CA space land acquisition. Twenty years. plus in California. Large staff and operating budget with revolving trust funds. No up -front costs to City. All costs recovered by trust through transfer of land to public agency. Working with BKK and Forest Service in land exchange for forest in -holdings and proposed Elsmere Canyon landfill. Nonprofit Land Trusts and the Acquisition of Open Space Page 3 Please note that two of the aforementioned trusts are nonprofit and interested in working with the City. The first, the Environmental Trust of San Diego, California, has been in operation for approximately two years. They place a special emphasis on Southern California and the San Diego area in particular. They have a small, part-time staff, and would require up -front funding from the City of Santa Clarita to begin the process. The other trust, the American Land Conservancy of San Francisco, California, is headed by their president, Harriet Burgess. Ms. Burgess previously was the regional director for the Trust for Public Land when they were originally contacted by the Forest Service and BER Corporation regarding a possible land exchange for forest in -holdings and the Elsmere landfill. Staff's preliminary investigations indicate that up -front funding will be required for acquisition of open space with either of the two nonprofit trusts previously mentioned. The amount required would be approximately $50,000 (see Attachment B). The $50,000 would be spent on such items as surveys, mapping, appraisals,_ aerial photography, and habitat and use studies. These figures are only estimates, inasmuch as the complexities- and time.factors involved in acquisitions of the various projects are unknown at this time. The Trust for Public Land is different from the other land trusts in that they require no up -front fees. They are financially capable of,funding the initial monies required to begin the process, and wait to obtain their monies until such time as the land transaction occurs. The Trust for Public Land has demonstrated the expertise and staff resources necessary to successfully accomplish the type of land acquisitions which the City would be interested in obtaining. It should be noted that large or complex open space land acquisitions conducted without the use of an organization such as the Trust for Public Land would result in more limited successes, and possibly a piecemeal effect in the sequence of land acquisitions. RECOMMENDATION It is recommended that the City Council authorize staff to negotiate with the Trust for Public Land for the acquisition of land parcels to be designated for open space. Attachment A: Land Trust Mailing List Attachment B: Preliminary Open Space Acquisition Budget PRCOUNC.181 LAND TRUST MAILING LIST Jean Hocker, President The Land Trust Alliance 900 17th Street N.W. Washington, D.C. 20002 Harriet Burgess, President American Land Conservancy 44 Montgomery, Suite 4165 San Francisco, CA 94104 Roberta Phillips Administrative Assistant The Nature Conservancy 785.Market Street San Francisco, CA 94103 Kyle Bach Conservation Resources 500 12th Street, Suite 310 Oakland, CA 94607 Shelton Douthit Sempervirens Fund Drawer BE Los Altos, CA 94023 Ralph Grossi American Farmland Trust 1920 "N" Street NW Washington, D.C. 20036 John Stearns, Manager California Botanical Habitat 3435 Ocean Park Boulevard, #201-25 Santa.Monica, CA 90405 David Gautereaua Secretary/Treasurer Environmental Trust 11590 Faisan'Way San Diego, CA` 92124 (202) 785-1410 (415) 403-3850 (415) 777-0487 (415) 567-0454 (415) 968-4509 (202) 659-5170 (310) 457-4195 (619) 573-0448 ATTACHMENT "A" PRELIMINARY OPEN SPACE Acquisition Budget Surveys Mapping Appraisals Aerial Photography Habitat and Use Studies f ATTACHMENT "B" $10,000 $10,000 $15,000 $ 5,000 $10,000