Conaway purchase foes sound off
County officials skip 'town hall' meeting citing bias of sponsors

By BEN ANTONIUS/Democrat Staff Writer
Daily Democrat
07/22/2005


About 100 residents squeezed into the Leake Room of the Woodland Public
Library Wednesday night to hear the latest debate of the Conaway Ranch land
seizure effort.

The meeting was organized by the Family Water Alliance and the Yolo County
Taxpayer's Association. It was billed as a chance for the Board of
Supervisors and Conaway Preservation Group to explain their sides and take
questions.

In the end, they heard from two supervisors, speaking only for themselves,
and heard the landowners reiterate that they do not want to develop the
17,300-acre ranch. However, the board did not attend, calling it "an event
... designed specifically to stifle open discussion and advocate one side to
the exclusion of another."

Two supervisors did attend in spite of the board's formal absence - District
3 Supervisor Frank Sieferman Jr., who spoke at the beginning of the meeting
and left, and District 5 Supervisor Duane Chamberlain, who stayed throughout
but emphasized he spoke only for himself, not the full board.

Audience questions were read to participants by moderator, former Sen. Jim
Nielsen - also an opponent of the takeover effort. They were most critical
of the county's arrangement with the Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians to pay
for the ranch and skeptical that the land was truly in danger of
development.

The audience and panel also pressed CPG representatives - none of the actual
property owners attended - for details of their plans for the land. Counsel
George Phillips said the owners did not want to develop the land or sell
water rights, but would consider selling habitat mitigation or conservation
easements on the land, which could still be profitable.

"We see a return on investment on the conservation side," he said, noting
that Sacramento County recently approved Swainson Hawk mitigation for
$18,000 an acre.

Chamberlain, who campaigned for his seat by opposing the use of eminent
domain, said he does not trust either the county or the owners with the
land. He said he has "no problem with the way the ranch is managed right
now," and suggested that the county and owners should simply arrange a deal
that would prohibit development of the land or sale of the water rights.

The board members apparently anticipated that the questions in the hour-long
panel session would be hostile to the county. The only panel members were
from the FWA and YCTA, which both oppose the county's efforts.

In one instance, YCTA President Dudley Holman answered his own question
after asking whether the tribe's offer to pay for the land was a gift or a
loan.

"I can answer that one myself," he said, without waiting for District 5
Supervisor Duane Chamberlain to respond. "It's a loan."

Chamberlain later said he believed the county had a simple agreement with
the tribe for its donation, but implied there would be strings attached in
the future.

- Reach Ben Antonius at 406-6233 or bantonius@dailydemocrat.com.