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�,i Draft Environmental -14 Impact Report Page IV.A Forward Inc. Landfill Expansion g F Multiple Species Conservation and Open Space Plan As discussed in Setting, above, the San Joaquin Multiple Species Conservation and Open Space Plan (SJMSCP) is a voluntary program. As such, if the project sponsor does not participate in the SJMSCP, it would not constitute a conflict with the Plan;however the project sponsor intends to participate in the SJMSCP. Mitigation measures to reduce impacts to species of concern, in addition to participation in the SJMSCP, are discussed in H. Vegetation and Wildlife, Impacts and Mitigation Measures. F,' With the exception of policies regarding agricultural land (discussed in Impact A.2 below), the impact of plan and policy compliance would be less than significant. FMitigation Measure A.1: None required. Impact A.2. The proposed project would convert agricultural land to industrial use. Approximately 206 acres of agricultural land, designated as Farmland of Statewide Importance, would be converted to industrial use under the proposed project. As discussed in Setting, Agricultural Land, above, the proposed expansion areas are not considered prime agricultural ' land, and there would be no impact on prime agricultural land. Because the expansion areas would either be within the currently permitted Forward Landfill, or contiguous with the existing landfill, the proposed project would not constitute "leap-frog" expansion of isolated, non-contiguous industrial uses into an area of agricultural preserve. However, the project would result in a loss of 206 acres of Farmland of Statewide Importance. This would conflict with the County's goals of preserving agricultural land, and contribute to the cumulative loss of agricultural land in San Joaquin County and the Central Valley. Conversion of agricultural land in the expansion areas is a potentially significant impact,both project-specific and cumulative, that would be reduced a less than significant level by implementation of the following mitigation measure. t Mitigation Measure A.2: To mitigate the conversion of agricultural land to industrial use,the project sponsor shall acquire a farmland conservation easement or other farmland conservation mechanism through The Land Trust Alliance, The California Council of Land Trusts, or American Farmland Trust. The number of acres of agricultural mitigation land shall be at least equal to the number of acres that would be changed to a non-agricultural use by the proposed �"; project [a 1:1 ratio]. In lieu fees may be substituted for a farmland conservation easement or 1 ' other farmland conservation mechanism solely if one or more of the following circumstances occurs: 1. Multiple good faith offers to purchase an easement or other preservation instrument have been declined by the seller or sellers. 2. Good faith efforts to purchase an easement or other preservation instrument over an extended period of time have not succeeded, and it would be unreasonable for the project sponsor to continue such efforts. 3. Good faith efforts have been made to purchase an easement or other preservation instrument,but the high cost of such purchase makes it unreasonable for the project sponsor to continue such efforts. The project sponsor shall execute a legal instrument to provide agricultural mitigation land and pay the applicable administrative fee, or, subject to approval by the San Joaquin County Community Development Department, pay an in-lieu fee. h i