RANCH group seeks to protect agricultural land

About 55 people showed up Monday for the kick-off session of the Ranching And Nevada Cultural Heritage area lands bill effort to protect agricultural land in Carson Valley.

"We possess fewer blessings greater than our beautiful scenery," said Dominique Etchegoyhen of Terra Firma Associates, a Minden-base land use consulting firm.

"One of our biggest challenges is protecting our beautiful area."

Etchegoyhen's father Jacques, a partner in Terra Firma, said timing was important to secure funding from a $40 million allocation from the sale of public land in Douglas County by July 2010 before the funds are returned to the U.S. Treasury.

"The Bureau of Land Management signed a final plan amendment to identify what land sales proceeds go for this community, to protect working ranches. The county sold land and upzoned it to get the best price," he said.

"Lo, and behold, a federal solicitor said there would have to be a special congressional area to use the $40 million. It couldn't be used on the floor of Carson Valley. After that date, (July 2010), every penny goes to the federal treasury," Jacques Etchegoyhen said.

It will take an act of Congress to secure the funding, he said.

Despite that, he said there had been "remarkable successes" in protecting 13,500 acres through conservation easements.

"Six years ago, there were close to none," he said.

The Etchegoyhens were joined by Douglas County officials Lisa Granahan, assistant to the county manager; Community Development Director Mimi Moss and Community Services Director Scott Morgan.

Participants were invited to mark priorities on maps indicating public land, viewsheds and buffer zones, private properties, master plan goals, and quality of life issues.

The next step is to begin meetings with stakeholders, a process expected to last through the summer.

Jacques Etchegoyhen said the first session would be with the Washoe Tribe.

The Etchegoyhens expect the meeting process to continue until November.

Presentations are to be made to county commissioners in December.

"I don't want to be the kind of person who cries 'wolf' ahead of time, but we need to keep our eye on the ball," he said.

He said Sens. Harry Reid and John Ensign have pledged to work for "passage of a bill that Douglas residents want."

After the meeting, Jacques Etchegoyhen said he was pleased with Monday's turnout.

"We're ecstatic," he said. "There was an excellent cross-section of old and new residents. It's exactly what we were looking for."