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NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY EDMUND G. BROWN JR.,GOVERNOR DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION �/�n Gvt�cc�LGfa vvzG� wo-,-,,Gni t an i v DIVISION OF LAND RESOURCE PROTECTION 801 K STREET . MS 18-01 SACRAMENTO,CALIFORNIA 95814 PHONE 916/324-0850 . FAX 916/327-3430 • TDD 916/324-2555 . WEB SITE conservation.ca.gov January 31, 2014 Email: SStowe rs(c�sjgov.orq Ms. Stephanie Stowers San Joaquin County Community Development Department 1810 E. Hazelton Ave Stockton, CA 95205 SUBJECT: SOLAR-USE EASEMENT ON TWO PORTIONS OF A WILLIAMSON ACT CONTRACT(APN's 187-180-10 AND 187-180-11); PA 1300027(SA) & PA 1300066(SA) Dear Ms. Stowers: The Department of Conservation (Department) monitors farmland conversion on a statewide basis and administers the California Land Conservation (Williamson) Act. Legislation enacted in 2011 (SB 618; Government Code section 51191 et seq.) enables parties with an existing Williamson Act contract, under specific circumstances, and after approval by the Department of Conservation, to mutually agree to rescind the contract in order to simultaneously enter into a solar-use easement. The Department's determination is made in consultation with the Department of Food and Agriculture. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The applicant is proposing development of two small solar panel areas located on two parcels in San Joaquin County. The parcels are under one Williamson Act contract, and located on the east side of Escalon-Bellota Road, 1,300 feet north of Groves Road in Farmington, California. The project proposes rescinding the Williamson Act contract on two sites within a 164-acre contracted parcel and reentering those sites into a solar-use easement. The sites would be 4.2 and 2.6 acres in size for a total of 6.8 acres. The sites where the solar facility is to be located are classified Grazing Land per the Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program (FMMP). The land is currently fallow, but has historically been used as grazing land. The remainder of both contracted parcels is almond orchards, which were recently harvested for the first time and are classified as Unique Farmland. FMMP classifications were obtained through the California Important Farmland Finder' on the Department of Conservation's webpage. The petition states that the site has topographic issues that prevent it from being farmed in a manner similar to the surrounding area, as is evident in the aerial imagery and supported by FMMP classification data. ' California Important Farmland Finder— San Joaquin County. httpi//maps-conservation.ca.gov/ciff/ciff.html Accessed 5/1/2013. The Department of Conservation's mission is to balance today's needs with tomorrow's challenges and foster intelligent, sustainable, and efficient use of California's energy, land, and mineral resources.