Board Moves to Preserve Farmland

County supervisors took a first step Tuesday toward creating a special district to buy and preserve farmland.

Board members unanimously voted to ask state lawmakers to draft legislation authorizing creation of an open-space district.

“For the first time, all five board members voted in favor of the concept of exploring an open-space district,” Supervisor Kathy Long said. “That’s pretty significant.”

The district creation would allow for the collection of private money and tax dollars that could be earmarked for land conservation.

But Supervisor John Flynn said the board still has a long way to go before any farmland can be purchased and preserved. Once an open-space district is created, county residents would still have to be polled to learn what land they want the county to buy, how they want to pay for it and how they want the land used.

Officials in 10 other counties, including Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino, have created open-space districts. A 1997 poll by the University of California’s Hansen Trust showed Ventura County voters also support protecting farmland, but 50% said they would reject any tax increases needed to pay for such protection.