County directs staff to issue notices of nonrenewal for three Williamson Act parcels

The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors voted to direct staff to issue notices of nonrenewal for three parcels enrolled under Williamson Act contracts, following a planning department recommendation.

Planning staff (Bernadette, Associate Planner) listed three parcels recommended for notice of nonrenewal and provided reasons tied to current land uses. The parcels and owners named in the staff presentation were: a roughly 533‑acre parcel off East Side Road east of the city of Etna owned by Jennifer Whipple (staff said about 20 acres are used for hay production and the remainder is not used for livestock grazing); a roughly 160‑acre parcel south of McGavin Creek Road west of Yreka owned by Tristan Caswell and Joseph Friedman (staff said the owners manage it for timber production and do not plan to resume livestock grazing and were advised rezoning to Timber Production Zone (TPZ) may be appropriate if the parcel qualifies); and a roughly 398.73‑acre parcel on Highway 3 North near Etna owned by Peter Whiteman and Laurie Walker (staff said the owners manage for timber, have submitted an application to rezone to TPZ, and seek immediate contract cancellation).

Staff recommended the board adopt a resolution directing staff to issue notices of nonrenewal for the parcels listed in Exhibit A and recommended that the project be found exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines sections 15007 and 15061(b)(3) (the "common-sense" exemption). A board member asked whether a typical nonrenewal is a 10‑year process and whether rezoning to TPZ would allow immediate replacement; staff responded that for the parcel with a submitted rezoning application, immediate cancellation upon recordation can occur.

The board moved, seconded and approved the resolution directing staff to issue the notices of nonrenewal by a voice vote. The motion carried with all supervisors recorded in favor. Staff said the first step after board approval is issuance of the notice of nonrenewal, after which staff will proceed with reasons and contract cancellation as appropriate.

The staff packet refers to Exhibit A (list of parcels) for details; the board packet should be consulted for legal descriptions and the formal resolution language.