Wednesday, May 10, 2006 Last modified: Tuesday, May 9, 2006 10:36 PM PDT

By: Gus Thomson, Journal Staff Writer

Placer County supervisors argued Tuesday over a proposal to seek state funding to help pay to preserve a 290-acre ranch from development.

Supervisor Bruce Kranz was critical of a potential purchase of an agricultural easement over the Kirk Ranch property on McCourtney Road, near Sheridan. He said zoning already in place would limit development to 14 single-family residences. The agricultural easement would allow two more homes to be added to the one already on the property but put a hold on any further development for perpetuity.

"It's already protected," Kranz said. "The public is getting absolutely nothing for this."

Supervisor Robert Weygandt, whose district includes the Camp Far West area the property is located in, said that moving forward on the state funding application is consistent with board policy over the last several years.

"We've had seven different supervisors consistently support open space programs and one consistently opposed," Weygandt said. "We have pro-active policies to prevent Placer County from becoming Southern California."

On the vote, Kranz was the lone supervisor opposing approval of a resolution endorsing an application for grant funds to the Sierra Nevada-Cascade Conservation Grant Program. Approval of the resolution allows the county to apply for state grant funds. The vote was 4-1, with supervisors Weygandt, Bill Santucci, Ted Gaines and Jim Holmes in support.

Planning Director Michael Johnson reported to the board that ranch owner John Kirk contacted the county about a conservation easement on family members' property four years ago. The land makes up about a third of the land in the Camp Far West area that could meet county open space objectives for woodland, ranchland, open space, scenic value, and water quality protection.

County Counsel Anthony La Bouff told supervisors that debate on the merits of the conservation easement purchase is still far in the future.

"To date, the only direction staff has had is to pursue negotiations," La Bouff said.

The Journal's Gus Thomson can be reached at gust@goldcountrymedia.com.