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Board declares 18 Pacific Shores parcels exempt surplus land to enable transfer to State Wildlife Conservation Board
Summary
Del Norte supervisors declared 18 county‑owned Pacific Shores parcels exempt from the Surplus Lands Act to allow negotiation of a transfer to the State Wildlife Conservation Board and the Smith River Alliance after staff found the lots largely contain wetlands.
The Del Norte County Board of Supervisors voted to declare 18 county‑owned parcels in the Pacific Shores subdivision exempt surplus land under Government Code §54221 and authorized staff to negotiate a purchase/transfer agreement with the State Wildlife Conservation Board and the Smith River Alliance.
County staff said the parcels were tax‑defaulted and the county took possession; staff reviewed the parcels and conservative wetlands mapping from the National Wetlands Inventory and concluded the lots are largely wetlands or contain habitat features that would limit their value for mitigation or development. Because the parcels largely qualify as environmentally sensitive habitat areas under state standards, staff recommended transfer to the state wildlife area rather than retain them for potential mitigation banking.
Supervisor Short, who raised the mitigation question at a prior meeting, thanked staff for producing maps and analysis; other supervisors supported staff’s recommendation. The board approved the transfer authorization on a unanimous voice vote.
Staff will negotiate the terms of transfer to the State Wildlife Conservation Board and the Smith River Alliance, with the goal of incorporating the parcels into the Lake Earl wildlife area.
