Wildlife Friendly Farming. Conservation. Resource Management.

Strategy

The Conaway Preservation Group proposes to sell a conservation easement designed to achieve the primary objectives of restricting the existing development rights to maintain the agricultural and open space character of the Conaway Ranch, with the associated fish and wildlife habitat values, while allowing the implementation of a multi-objective resources management program that is envisioned to include the following elements:

• Flood Control. Significantly increase flood protection for the Sacramento region, including Natomas and downtown Sacramento, by opening the proposed conservation easement area to accommodate periodic, temporary flood flows.

• Floodplain Habitat and Fish Migration. Enhance fish passage through the Yolo Bypass and increase access to seasonally inundated floodplain habitat on Conaway Ranch to contribute to efforts to improve conditions for native fish and provide the foundation for other enhancement projects.

• Integrated Water Management. Structure a conjunctive use, water quality / supply program for local / regional users that benefits the Sacramento River and Delta and is consistent with the water quality needs for expanded environmental enhancement of the Yolo Bypass.

• Public Access. Provide managed public recreation and environmental education opportunities.

To maximize the overall public and private benefits that can be achieved on the Conaway Ranch from an integrated conservation and resource management strategy, the Conaway Preservation Group proposes to convey a conservation easement that will be sufficiently restrictive of development and use rights to support grant funding from one or more funding sources, while at the same time being sufficiently flexible to accommodate the further resource management projects envisioned for the Conaway Ranch.

The Conaway Preservation Group proposes to act expeditiously to conclude the negotiation and conveyance of a suitable conservation easement instrument by the end of calendar year 2008.