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Administrative Draft Environmental Impact Report Gill Medical Center Project Agricultural Mitigation Ordinance Finding that the "loss of farmland to development is irreparable" and that zoning and other regulatory measures are an "inadequate" approach to agricultural land preservation, as discussed above the San Joaquin County Agriculture Mitigation Ordinance requires farmland preservation when farmland is lost due to development.The ordinance stipulates that perseveration shall occur at 1:1 ratio and may be accomplished through the acquisition of easements either: 1) directly by the developer; or, 2) through payment of in-lieu fees. The proposed Project would result in the loss of approximately 33.11 acres of active agricultural land due to site development. Consistent with the County's Agricultural Mitigation Ordinance, with implementation of Mitigation Measure 4.4-1, this impact is less than significant with mitigation incorporated. Right to Farm Ordinance Because the proposed Project does not include residential development, the San Joaquin County Right to Farm Ordinance does not apply.There would be no impact. Mitigation Measures To mitigate the loss of agricultural land due to Project development, the following measure is recommended: 4.4-1a: Preserve agricultural land Impacted by Project development at a 1:1 ratio The Project applicant shall either dedicate or acquire a conservation easement which preserves at least 33.11 acres farmland or pay in lieu fees for the acquisition of such an easement before building permitting occurs.A conservation easement is an encumbrance sometimes including a transfer of usage rights (easement)which creates a legally enforceable land preservation agreement between a landowner and a government agency(municipality, county, state, federal) or a qualified land protection organization (often called a "land trust"), for the purposes of conservation. It restricts real estate development, commercial and industrial uses, and certain other activities on the property. This mitigation strategy would ensure that the acquisition of the conservation easement land achieves maximum benefits for the residents of San Joaquin County and other public or private land conservation programs. The number of acres of agricultural land subject to conservation easement shall be equal to the number of acres of agricultural land lost due to Project development (a 1:1 ratio) and of equal or better quality as the agricultural land converted by the Project. Final approval of the proposed project shall be contingent upon the execution of the legal instrument to create a conservation easement as described herein or payment of an in-lieu fee to a government agency or qualified land protection organization/land trust, including SJCOG Inc. under the San Joaquin Multiple Species Conservation Program (SJMSCP), for the acquisition of such an easement within San Joaquin County. Agricultural and Forestry Resources 4.4-12 October 2021