Tribe bankrolls Conaway

By Elisabeth Sherwin/Enterprise staff writer

WOODLAND - The Yolo County Board of Supervisors has been unrelenting in its determination to buy the 17,300-acre Conaway Ranch despite vocal public criticism and an apparent lack of means.

On Tuesday, the county found the means: The Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians has become the county's financial partner. This announcement was made at a news conference in the atrium of the County Administration Building during a break in the Board of Supervisors' meeting.

The Conaway Ranch is estimated to have a fair market value of between $60 million and $80 million, based on its most recent sale price.

When asked whether the tribe would fully or partially assist with funding, tribal leader Paula Lorenzo was direct.

"We are prepared to fully assist," she said.

But the dollar figure has not yet been determined since the county is involved in eminent domain proceedings, which it initiated last July.

The Yolo County Taxpayers Association, the Yolo County Farm Bureau, and the Sacramento-based People's Advocate have opposed the county's use of eminent domain to acquire the property.

In mid-December, the ranch property - which includes 15,900 acres of farmland, 50,000 acre-feet of Sacramento River surface water, 45,000 acre-feet of ground water and 30,000 acre-feet of secondary rights to Cache Creek riparian water - was purchased by a group of Sacramento developers from the National Energy and Gas Transmission Inc., formerly known as PG&E Properties. The purchase price is believed to be about $60 million.

Much of the criticism directed at the county over the ranch has focused on the high cost of acquiring the land.

So the announcement Tuesday that a financial partner had been found was very good news for the cash-strapped county.

"It's a very happy day for all of us," said Helen Thomson, chairwoman of the board. "I feel like dancing."

The county and the tribe described the ranch as an environmental jewel in the Yolo Bypass and Cache Creek Settling Basin.

"It is the most significant remaining open space in Yolo County," Thomson said.

The tribe will be the county's financing partner for purchase of the ranch should the purchase occur through private acquisition or eminent domain proceedings.

"We are not aware of any other partnership in the nation where a local county government and a recognized Indian tribe have joined together to preserve more than 17,000 acres of open space for the public's benefit," Thomson said.

She also emphasized that none of the millions of dollars in casino expansion mitigation dollars committed by the tribe following a 2002 agreement would go toward the ranch purchase.

"And no general fund money will be used," she added.

"There is literally nothing like the Conaway Ranch," Lorenzo said.

She said the tribe looked forward to taking a seat at the table with other government agencies forming the Conaway Ranch Joint Powers Agreement: Yolo County; the cities of Davis, Woodland, Winters and West Sacramento; UC Davis; and the Yolo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District.

The JPA was set up to manage the property if it is acquired by the county.

Lorenzo also shared her memories of the Conaway Ranch land before the causeway between Sacramento and Davis was constructed.

"We used to walk down that road Š to go hunting and fishing," she said. She described the smell of roasting mud ducks, which she and her relatives would eat for lunch or dinner with tortillas and beans.

"This is really a big step for us," she said.

Assemblywoman Lois Wolk, D-Davis, also was on hand to congratulate the county and the tribe on forming the partnership.

"Today will go down in the history books as a landmark day for Yolo County," Wolk said. "The purchase of Conaway Ranch will be a true legacy for the people of Yolo County.

"Opportunities like this simply do not come along very often. And when they do, you have to pull out all of the stops to make it happen."

But not everyone was happy with the announcement.

Dudley Holman, former Woodland mayor and the president of the Yolo Taxpayers Association, said he was disappointed at the lack of specific details released at the morning press conference.

"We didn't get any details," he said. "What is the county conceding in return? How long will the partnership last? What's the price - not in dollars but in indebtedness?

"All we were given this morning was a grand promise: 'The Indians will take care of it all.' There's too much going on behind the scenes," Holman complained.

"Maybe we'll have a bunch of casinos out there (on Conaway property)," he added. "Who knows?"

Thomson said the financing details would be worked out later.

"We'll work this out as we go along," she said at the press conference.

"The tribe is the only entity we can trust on a handshake basis," added Supervisor Mike McGowan, chairman of the Conaway Ranch JPA.

Also on Tuesday, the current owners of the ranch, the Conaway Preservation Group, released a statement objecting to the tribe's offer and the potential use of gambling profits to condemn private property and water rights.

The Conaway Preservation Group is made up of a number of owners, including nine regional developers. Among them is Steve Gidaro of Sacramento. The group said it intends to maintain the existing management of Conaway Ranch and protect the property's water resources, agricultural land, wildlife and flood control benefits.

- Reach Elisabeth Sherwin at gizmo@dcn.org

Wednesday, May 18, 2005