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July 12, 2006

DOP Letter to the Editor in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Our letter about the McCrea Ranch and the breaking of a conservation easement was published in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat last week.

To find it, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Or just read the text of it below

EDITOR: Thank you for your coverage of the proposal to change the conservation easement on the McCrea Ranch. Conservation easements are one of the few legal entities in our society that are supposed to be forever. The public paid for the conservation easement on McCrea Ranch with the understanding that the land would be protected in perpetuity. While the situation with the McCrea Ranch is clouded by legal issues, and the public would be the beneficiaries of a new trail, breaking the conservation easement comes at a significant cost. It sets a dangerous precedent that undermines the longevity of all conservation easements in Sonoma County and says pubic spending on conservation easements may only protect the land for a few years.

The Sonoma County Open Space District is going to ask Sonoma County voters to re-authorize its existence in the next couple of years. Upholding the original conservation easement on the McCrea Ranch is a good first step in proving to voters that it is a good steward of the public's dollars and the public's natural landscapes.

JASON KIBBEY

Director, Defense of Place, San Francisco

Posted by dop_editor at 09:47 PM | Comments (0)