Using proceeds from a competitive grant offered by the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act, county officials will develop a comprehensive platform of maps, models and policies to reduce greenhouse gases by preserving at-risk farmland in South County.
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The program, known as the “Sustainable Agricultural Policy Framework for Southern Santa Clara County,” will specifically target thousands of acres of farmland “at the greatest risk of development pressure” in and surrounding Morgan Hill, Gilroy and Coyote Valley, according to county staff.
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The county and the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority will use $100,000 in grant funds to develop the framework, which will integrate existing and draft local land use policies, plans and ordinances, including General Plan updates and agricultural mitigation policies currently under development in Morgan Hill and Gilroy. The county won the grant June 30 from the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program, which is part of the California Strategic Growth Council.
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The framework is announced at a time when scientists and policy makers from the region and throughout the state are taking a closer look at new, simple strategies and investments that can mitigate future greenhouse gas emissions and improve resiliency to climate change effects, according to a July 27 press release. Specifically, the local framework will focus on how limiting the conversion of farmland to development might reduce the effects of climate change by reducing sprawl and carbon emissions.
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“Projects such as this provide an opportunity for everyone with a stake in the long term viability of the agricultural economy of Santa Clara County to chart a course for our collective future,” said Kirk Girard, Director of the County’s Department of Planning and Development.
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Studies have shown that urban and suburban landscapes generate significantly more greenhouse gas emissions than farmland and that healthy and resilient agricultural landscapes can buffer some of the negative effects of climate change on nearby communities, the press release said. Natural and agricultural landscapes also provide environmental benefits such as carbon storage, water retention, flood protection, local food production, habitat and biodiversity.
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“If agriculture is to survive in South County, an innovative regional framework is needed to demonstrate that conserving farmland from development is a critically important climate change strategy,” said Andrea Mackenzie, General Manager of the Open Space Authority. “The time is now to align plans, programs, policies and investment affecting undeveloped agricultural lands to sustain the valley’s natural environment, support the local agricultural economy, and increase climate resiliency and adaptation in Silicon Valley.”
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Santa Clara County, once known as the “Valley of Heart’s Delight,” has a long and celebrated agricultural history, but since the 1960s has been transformed by population growth and economic development into “Silicon Valley,” the press release noted. Currently, about 27,000 acres of farmland remain in the county, and about half that land is in danger of being lost to development.
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And the county is projected to continue growing, perhaps by as much as 35 percent or 650,000 more people by 2035, county staff said.
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In Morgan Hill, the city council earlier this month approved a growth control plan for the largely agricultural area east of U.S. 101 just outside the city limits, known as the Southeast Quadrant. That plan is intended to limit haphazard construction in the area, develop lower-impact uses such as sports and recreation and preserve some of the farmland that remains. However, staff from the county, OSA and the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) have repeatedly voiced concerns that the city’s SEQ project fails to preserve a desired amount of open space.
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The LAFCO board of directors is ultimately responsible for approving or denying the SEQ expansion plan.
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The county will be the lead agency and partner with the OSA to develop the framework, the press release continues. The total budget for the project is $205,000, including in-kind services and $100,000 from the Strategic Growth Council grant, $49,000 from Santa Clara County, $50,000 from the Open Space Authority and $5,000 from Cultivate Studio. Panels of technical experts representing the agricultural sector and the municipal government and nonprofit sector will be convened to provide input and review. Dozens of government, nonprofit and industry organizations will serve as advisors and consultants to the project.
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The new Sustainable Agricultural Policy Framework for Southern Santa Clara County will include the following policies, plans and ordinances:
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• Plan Bay Area, a regional strategy focused on carbon footprint reduction through smart growth, aligned with the Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008;
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• City of San Jose General Plan, Envision 2040;
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• Santa Clara County General Plan;
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• Santa Clara County’s Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones Ordinance;
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• Economic Benefits of Agriculture, County of Santa Clara Agricultural Commissioner’s Office (in production);
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• Healthy Lands and Healthy Economies, the Open Space Authority;
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• The OSA’s Valley Greenprint, a 30-year conservation vision outlining strategies and priorities to conserve agricultural land;
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• General Plans and agricultural preservation programs for the cities of Morgan Hill and Gilroy now in development.
