GVAC FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is a conservation easement?
A conservation easement is a voluntary, legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust or conservancy that permanently limits uses of the land in order to protect its conservation values. When a conservation easement is donated or sold, some of the rights associated with the land are relinquished. A property owner may give up the right to build additional structures, while retaining the right to grow crops. It allows a property owner to continue to own and use the land and to sell it or pass it on to heirs. Future owners also will be bound by the easement's terms. The Conservancy is responsible for making sure the easement's terms are followed on a long-term basis.

What is a transfer tax assessment?
The Green Valley Agricultural Conservancy will be funded by a transfer tax assessment based on a portion of the sale price for each lot (transfer tax.) The transfer tax will be applied to the sale and resale of all properties. Proceeds of the transfer tax will be used to fund ongoing management and operations of the Conservancy.

How will the Conservancy’s stewardship program work?
The Conservancy will oversee and monitor the conservation lands placed under conservation easements for the benefit of the community. The landowners are the stewards of the land while the Conservancy’s responsibility is to manage these easements in a comprehensive manner and provide financial  and technical support as needed. Management must be done in accordance with the provisions of the easement, and this role will continue to be the responsibility of the landowner.

What is a foodshed?
A foodshed is a defined area where food is produced and where it is consumed, including  the land it grows on, the routes it travels, the markets it goes through, the tables it ends up on.  A local or regional "foodshed" could be defined in a variety of ways — a simple 100-mile radius, for example, is often used in “eat local" campaigns. Green Valley is considered part of the S.F. Bay Area foodshed.