Conservation Element - Calaveras County Government Services

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Although there have been no prime agricultural lands identified in Calaveras County, manylands are capable of supporting agriculture. In general, lands with less than 30 percent slopes andsoil depths of two or more feet are suited for agricultural use.Potential Agricultural AreasAs shown on High Capability Agriculture Lands map, Page IV-7, there are some areas ofthe county that are currently not farmed, but that are arable and may be suitable for agriculturalproduction. The largest parcels are toward the center of the county, in fairly remote areas. Theexisting vegetation on this central portion is mostly conifers with some hardwoods and grass lands.Timber production and some rangeland may be suitable for this area. The arable areas nearer tothe San Joaquin County border are mostly grass lands and shrubs. Again, rangeland may besuitable in this area. If water is available, some fruit or field crops may also be possible.GENERAL PLAN RECOMMENDATIONSGoal IV-1: Preserve and encourage the use of land for agriculture purposes.Policy IV-1A: Allow resource production lands to remain available for agriculture andrural use.Policy IV-1B: Encourage Williamson Act contracts on lands outside of CommunityCenters, Residential Centers, Community, Special and Specific Plan Areas, and MixedUse/Master Project Areas.Implementation Measure IV-1B-1: Cooperate with the County AgricultureCommissioner when considering land use for lands within Williamson Actcontracts.Implementation Measure IV-1B-2: Require Community and Special Plans adoptedafter January 1, 1996, to address agriculture resources, and allow densities onresource lands within those Plan areas to reflect area preferences.Goal IV-2: Protect legally established agriculture from encroachment by incompatible land uses.Policy IV-2A: Review development proposals for possible encroachment upon legallyestablished agriculture.4.0 Forest ResourcesImplementation Measure IV-2A-1: Enforce "right to farm" provisions of theCounty Zoning Code.Forests are a significant natural and economic resource for Calaveras County. The forestlands provide for open space, recreation, and natural habitats, which is discussed in the Open Spaceelement. In addition, these lands are utilized for timber production.Calaveras County General Plan z December 9, 1996 z Page IV-8
4.1 Timber Production reversedTimber consists of trees of any species, whether planted or naturally occurring, which aremaintained for eventual harvest. Timber includes Christmas trees, but does not include nurserystock. Areas receiving the Timber Production Lands designation are identified as highly capableof supporting timber growth and harvesting. The soil information developed by the CaliforniaDepartment of Forestry (CDF) Cooperative Soil Vegetation Survey identifies soil classificationscapable of supporting timber. Lands containing soils in the Arvanitis and Palley Site classes 3through 7 (medium to very high) are most capable of timber production. These lands wereincluded as part of the lands shown on the High Capability Timberlands Map, Page IV-10.Most timber production occurs in the eastern section of the county on or near the StanislausNational Forest lands. Lands in Calaveras County are estimated as capable of producing about 60million board feet of lumber per year with some 20 million board feet coming from the StanislausNational Forest.The Stanislaus National Forest administers 75,072 acres within the county, which comprisesapproximately eleven percent of the county. As of 1986, American Forest Products Companycontrolled an estimated 67,000 acres in the eastern portion of the county. Fiberboard Corporation(a subsidiary of Louisiana Pacific), Snider Lumber Products Company, and Yuba River Lumber(a subsidiary of Bohemia Lumber Company) each controlled minor acreage (less than 1,000 acreseach) within the county's boundaries.1992 figures from the County Agriculture Commissioner indicate that 75,893 or 12 percentof the total land area is held in Timber Production Zone (TPZ) pursuant to the Forest TaxationReform Act of 1976. See High Capability Timberlands Map, Page IV-10.Timber production is allowed outside of those areas identified in the General Plan as TimberProduction Lands. It is not the intent of the Plan to restrict timber practices to lands receiving thetimber production designation.GENERAL PLAN RECOMMENDATIONSGoal IV-3: Preserve and encourage the expansion of high capability timber lands for timberprotection and harvest.Policy IV-3A: Allow lands located within high capability timberlands to remain availablefor timber production.Implementation Measure IV-3A-1: Allow a maximum density of one dwelling per20 acres on high capability timber lands outside of Community Centers, ResidentialCenters, Community, Special and Specific Plan areas, and the City of Angels sphereof influence.Implementation Measure IV-3A-2 : Utilize Timber Production Zones and contractswith private property owners under the California Timber Productivity Act of 1982,and the Forest Taxation Reform Act of 1976.Calaveras County General Plan z December 9, 1996 z Page IV-9
Page 2 and 3: Soil Types mapCalaveras County Gene
Page 5 and 6: TABLE IV-2LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION AND
Page 7: High Capability Agriculture Lands m
Page 11 and 12: Goal IV-4:Maintain and increase tim
Page 13 and 14: Mineral Resource mapCalaveras Count
Page 15 and 16: The DMG survey notes five classes o
Page 17 and 18: Local study and evaluation of the C
Page 19 and 20: in a generally southwestern directi
Page 21 and 22: Water Resources MapCalaveras County
Page 23 and 24: Wetlands are highly productive natu
Page 25 and 26: 6.3 Public Water/UtilitiesSix diffe
Page 27 and 28: Cubic Foot of natural gasKilowatt H

Conservation Element - Calaveras County Government Services

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