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Wildlands Conservancy presents Santa Margarita preservation proposal to FPUD board

The Wildlands Conservancy proposes to acquire the Fallbrook Public Utility District's Santa Margarita property, and Feb. 26, The Wildlands Conservancy presented its proposal to the FPUD board.

The presentation was a non-voting item.

"That was just a presentation on the proposal provided by Wildlands," FPUD general manager Jack Bebee said. "It was just an initial information item and opportunity to review what they're proposing."

The components of the proposal will require that the state's voters pass Proposition 68 in the June 5 election. Proposition 68 would authorize $4 billion of general obligation bonds for state and local park, environmental protection, water infrastructure and flood protection programs. The Wildlands Conservancy would use $10 million of Proposition 68 funding to help finance the acquisition of the Santa Margarita property.

The presentation by The Wildlands Conservancy also included a management component; the integrated resource management plan submitted would grant a trail easement to the Fallbrook Trails Council before the close of escrow, maintain the existing 18 miles of trails, protect sensitive plants and animals on the property and develop a fire mitigation plan.

In the late 1940s, the FPUD board pursued the building of a dam on the Santa Margarita River and purchased the 1,384-acre property with the intent to use the land for a dam. Issues involving Camp Pendleton water rights needed to be resolved at higher government levels, and by the time that occurred, environmental and funding issues prevented the dam from being built.

The plans for the dam have been replaced with the Santa Margarita River Conjunctive Use Project, which would enhance groundwater recharge and recovery capacity within the lower Santa Margarita River basin and develop a program to increase available water supplies for Camp Pendleton and FPUD.

The Santa Margarita property includes approximately 18 miles of multi-use trails for hiking, bicycling and horseback riding. FPUD owns the trails but has a maintenance agreement with the Fallbrook Trails Council. The county's general plan designates the property as public agency lands, while the zoning is open space for all but a 3.6-acre parcel which has limited agriculture zoning.

In September 2015, FPUD's board approved a sale agreement of the 1,384-acre property to Western Rivers Conservancy for $9,975,000, and the revenue from the sale would have been earmarked to construct the Conjunctive Use Project facilities. The purchase and sale agreement stipulated an escrow closing date of Dec. 31, 2016, unless Western Rivers Conservancy chose to increase the deposit and extend escrow to June 30, 2017.

The expectation was for the land to be placed into a permanent conservation easement, and the purchase and sale agreement stipulated that a recreational trails easement as well as a long-term stewardship agreement would be finalized before the close of escrow. The process would have involved The Wildlands Conservancy undertaking the role of the long-term steward for the entire land with an equestrian easement being granted to the Fallbrook Trails Council. Concurrence in writing by FPUD, Western Rivers Conservancy, The Wildlands Conservancy and the Fallbrook Trails Council would have been necessary for the agreement to be finalized.

The conditions to close escrow were not met, and in June 2017, FPUD's board voted 3-2 to reject a motion which would have extended the escrow agreement with Western Rivers Conservancy for an additional 90 days. In September 2017, the FPUD board voted 4-1, with Milt Davies opposed, to issue a Request for Proposals soliciting interested parties to propose a transaction agreement to acquire the Santa Margarita River property, which would include preserving access to the trails on the land. The proposals were due by Jan. 15 and needed the proposed compensation to FPUD, the terms and conditions of the transaction and a detailed summary including ownership structure and principals, management experience and financial capacity to complete the transaction and preserve the property.

The Wildlands Conservancy was the only organization to submit a proposal. The Wildlands Conservancy is based in California and is a nonprofit, private entity whose mission is to provide passive recreation and education opportunities which are free to the public.

No board direction was provided at the Feb. 25 meeting. Because real estate negotiations are conducted in closed session, the eventual vote to approve terms of the transaction and the price will be discussed without the presence of the public, although any actions out of closed session will be reported in a subsequent open session.

Author Bio

Joe Naiman, Writer

Joe Naiman has been writing for the Village News since 2001

 

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