Committee hears PACE easement appraisal surprises, appoints supervisor to council

Committee members discussed recent conservation easement (PACE) applications and said one appraisal returned a value substantially higher than past averages, creating a funding gap that staff said could be absorbed from county fund balance and may be eligible for federal NRCS FY27 funds. “The easement value came back almost double what we estimated based on past averages,” the director said, noting the county could absorb some of the difference while federal partners sought additional funding.