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December 29, 2005 Eastern Sierra's First Farmland Protection Agreement Secured MONO COUNTY, CA—The Eastern Sierra Land Trust, in partnership with the California Department of Conservation’s Farmland Conservancy Program (CFCP), and the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP) of the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service announced today the completion of a land protection agreement on the 818-acre Montgomery Creek Ranch in Benton Valley. It is the first agreement of its kind in the Eastern Sierra to preserve farmland, and maintains the agricultural character of the area, as neighboring ranches are being purchased for development. “This land protection agreement allowed us to fulfill a 10-year dream to purchase a farm,” said David Doonan, owner with his wife Diane of the Montgomery Creek Ranch. “The high price of land in this region makes it prohibitive for a new farmer to buy farmland, because there’s no crop we could plant and farm that could pay for itself. By working with the financial incentives that a land protection agreement provides, we can afford to keep this a working family farm.” The Ranch, which was originally homesteaded in 1876, was named after the dramatic 13,441-foot Montgomery Peak which towers above it. It is on the eastern edge of Mono County, and approximately 50 miles from quickly-developing Mammoth Lakes. “The window for protecting agricultural resources in Benton Valley is narrowing as ranches are being sold for development,” says Julie Bear, Executive Director of the Eastern Sierra Land Trust. “The Montgomery Creek Ranch land protection agreement ensures that, 50 years from now, we will still be seeing green fields and crops in production here.” As Mono County’s second-highest income producer behind tourism, agriculture is an integral part of this region’s economy. Furthermore, the Mono County General Plan supports agriculture in this region, and identified Benton Valley with its fertile soils as a prime agricultural resource. Diane Doonan summarizes, “Agriculture is important to this region’s economy, history and scenery. I grew up on a farm nearby and we’re passionate about supporting and sustaining farming and agriculture in this Valley.” She adds, “Once you break up these historic ranch properties, you’ll never get them back.” The protection agreement also assures that the historic water rights are forever tied to the property. Dave and Diane Doonan bought the ranch from US Filter, a subsidiary of Vivendi Universal, who owned the property from 1999 to 2002 with the intent of exporting groundwater from Benton Valley. Funding for the majority of the project came from grants from the CFCP and FRPP which support and encourage long-term, private stewardship of agricultural lands through the voluntary use of agricultural protection agreements. “We’re very pleased to help ensure that the Montgomery Creek Ranch will always remain in agricultural use,” said Department of Conservation Director Bridgett Luther. “As the state’s population continues to grow, it becomes increasingly important to preserve our top-quality farmland.” Luther noted that the grant was a first for CFCP in Mono County. Statewide, the CFCP had expended over $45 million to help permanently shield over 30,000 agricultural acres from development. “This land protection agreement shows that land trust tools can be valuable and beneficial to landowners in the Eastern Sierra and can be tailored to meet individual landowner’s goals” emphasized Tony Taylor, Eastern Sierra Land Trust’s Board President. “Working in partnership with the CFCP and FRPP made this project a reality.” The Eastern Sierra Land Trust is a non-profit, 501 (c)3 organization that works with private landowners and the public to protect farms and ranches, plants and animals, rural culture and scenic vistas in Inyo, Mono, and Alpine counties. For more information about the Eastern Sierra Land Trust please contact us at (760) 873-4554. For more information about the California Farmland Protection Program, please visit www.consrv.ca.gov/DLRP/cfcp/.
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