1. Tri-County land-repurposing pilot remains in development Staff and consultants are developing a Phase 1 Voluntary Land Repurposing Program pilot that would compensate participating landowners for restricting specified groundwater use, potentially under a land covenant. Participants would retain their land, subject to rules still being developed. Highland Economics is finalizing a water-valuation study, and a draft GIS-based tool could help estimate the value of groundwater use a landowner would relinquish on a parcel. Factors could include proximity to subsidence and disadvantaged communities. Privacy questions remain unresolved, as do payment schedules, contract lengths and terms at expiration. The draft proposes that eligible land have been farmed within the past two years. Staff hopes to present more detail at an upcoming meeting; the board did not approve the pilot at this meeting. The initial phase would use Tri-County funds already set aside.
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