CalPERS vows to push giant Preservation Ranch vineyard project(2)
The $233.7 billion pension fund has switched overall management of its vineyard portfolio, including 19 vineyards in California, Oregon and Washington, to GI Partners of Menlo Park.
CalPERS' moves come at a key time for developers of vineyards on forested land. Last week, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors temporarily halted new hillside and ridgetop vineyard projects requiring tree removal. The four-month moratorium is to allow an upgrade of vineyard rules that would, if approved, apply to Preservation Ranch.
The project would permanently set aside 15,000 acres for timber operations, dedicate 2,700 acres for a private wildlife preserve and donate 220 acres for a public park expansion.
But critics, including a coalition of environmental groups, local tribal members and others say those measures are inadequate. They have pressed CalPERS to abandon the plan and have called for protection of the entire 19,652 acres as a timber reserve.
Opponents plan to ramp up their efforts today with a presentation to the Board of Supervisors of 90,000 signatures from those who say they oppose Preservation Ranch and large timber-to-vineyard conversions in general. A Los Angeles woman started the online petition last year using the website Change.org.
CalPERS officials, meanwhile, have quietly reached out to a national group that specializes in forest conservation deals.
Chris Kelly, California program director for The Conservation Fund, said he was called last month by Judy Alexander, the CalPERS portfolio manager, and that he has had several conversations with CalPERS officials in recent weeks.
Kelly said he indicated the group would be interested in talking further about purchasing a conservation easement over the ranch or working with other groups and backers on an outright purchase of the property.
The Conservation Fund owns and manages more than 50,000 acres of forest in Mendocino County for sustainable timber production and sale of carbon credits. One of their properties, a 13,900-acre tract in the Gualala River watershed, borders Preservation Ranch.
“I just told them its something we've done in the neighborhood,” Kelly said. “The ball is in CalPERS' court.”
County officials are set to meet Friday with Redding, the Preservation Ranch consultant, to discuss a revised schedule for the project's environmental impact report.
Release of the much-anticipated study, which is said to cost up to $2 million, would kick off the public comment and hearing process. The report was originally due at the end of 2011, but was pushed back last year to mid-2012.
David Schiltgen, the Sonoma County planner overseeing the application process, suggested it may be delayed further.
“With this whole changing of agents and consultants, there's been some delay,” Schiltgen said.
