Midpen Seeks Coastside input on basic policy update; committee presses for clearer protections for viable agricultural uses

Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District officials on March 10 asked the San Mateo County Agricultural Advisory Committee for feedback on proposed changes to the district’s overarching basic policy, including how the district treats coastal agricultural lands and public access.

The district’s assistant general manager, Susanna Chan, told the committee the update is intended to fold coastal protection work into Midpen’s basic policy and that the district will collect stakeholder feedback before returning a final proposal to the Midpen board in summer 2025. "We are here to hear your feedback," Chan said.

Why it matters: Committee members framed the discussion around the practical effects of Midpen’s policies for people who operate ranches and farms on the San Mateo County coast — lease terms, how grazing and crop production are prioritized, and what counts as "viable" agricultural land. Several speakers urged clearer protections to avoid displacement of long‑term tenants and to preserve prime soils and water access.

What Midpen described: Brian Malone, Midpen assistant general manager, said the agency currently has requests for proposals in the field for conservation grazing leases and that the board previously extended lease terms in response to tenant input. "We increased it from 10 years, 5 and 5, to a 15 year term,…