On March 27, 2013 the Council will again consider the UNR proposal. Go to the end of this post to RSVP for the meeting to show your support and help us demonstrate to the Council the level of community opposition to the proposal.
Here is what the Coalition to Preserve the UNR Farmland and Floodplain (Coalition) wants you to know about this issue.
At the Council’s request UNR conducted a series of workshops to identify and address stakeholder concerns. However, the concerns remain unanswered.
The land in question
floods on a regular basis, which is bad for business and residents but great
for agriculture and open space. This land has experienced at least 14
one-hundred year floods on the Truckee River, Steamboat Creek, or both, since
records started being kept in 1864, meaning the land floods roughly every 10
years. The Truckee River Flood Project plans to use this space for a multimillion
dollar flood control project, which will utilize the open land to store flood
waters for the safety of the entire Truckee Meadows. Industrial development
will reduce floodwater storage capacity on this land, thus increasing the flood
danger to area families and businesses, and costing tax payers more money.
In addition, since
this land is almost entirely in Critical Flood Zone 1, if development is
allowed, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will adjust the Flood
Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), resulting in a significant financial burden in the
form of flood insurance premiums for surrounding residents and commercial
properties on the west side of McCarran.
Flood insurance requirements could adversely affect future commercial
activity.
UNR
asserts the104 acres, located on the east side of McCarran, are suitable for
commercial use because the land west of McCarran is already built out with
commercial development. However,
a 64-acre parcel at the northwest corner of the McCarran and Mill intersection
is owned by the Truckee River Flood Management Authority. The land further east
and southeast of McCarran is primarily residential. The 104 acres should be set aside for flood
plain, open space, and agricultural use so that it remains in character with
the existing neighborhood.
UNR is a land
grant university with one of its core missions being agricultural research.
Since 2004, universities have seen a 31% increase in agricultural science
enrollment, per the Capitol Press. UNR is situated in a unique climatic region
and is ideally positioned to foster a modern agriculture research program
dealing with drought and extreme temperature swings. Should
this zoning pass and a sale follow (and
it will, otherwise why spend so much money and effort to have it zoned for
maximum monetary value), our most valuable agricultural assets – land and education
– will be lost.
As stewards of our land-grant university mission and educational program UNR has a responsibility to develop and maintain an agricultural
program in Nevada. Instead, the systematic sale of Nevada Experiment Station
property and assets and the ongoing reduction of agricultural college staffing
levels have greatly curtailed the university’s ability to meet this
responsibility.
Should this property be sold, the original parcel will be reduced from 1,000+ to fewer than 700 acres, leaving approximately 650 acres
available for agricultural research. The proposed and completed land transactions
we are currently aware of would result in the loss of over 38% of research land
on this parcel alone.Other publically owned farmlands under the Regent’s stewardship have already been sold and the
resulting income used for purposes other than agriculture program development. MSFL
is the only remaining urban farmland in the region – the Coalition community is
encouraging UNR and the Regents to consider this land a piece of a larger plan
to further develop the burgeoning local food economy, create jobs, and protect
area residents and businesses.
UNR is offering the Valley Road Field Laboratory (VRFL) as an alternative site for agricultural research. However, soil conditions at the VRFL cannot support field studies on crop plants due to contamination from previous chemical research. While the High Desert Farming Initiative (HDFI) should be applauded for its focus on in-ground organic hoop house production, MSFL is a better location for this and other agriculture programs. The soil is perfect for growing food crops for human consumption because it routinely floods and is reinvigorated with river sediment.
UNR is offering the Valley Road Field Laboratory (VRFL) as an alternative site for agricultural research. However, soil conditions at the VRFL cannot support field studies on crop plants due to contamination from previous chemical research. While the High Desert Farming Initiative (HDFI) should be applauded for its focus on in-ground organic hoop house production, MSFL is a better location for this and other agriculture programs. The soil is perfect for growing food crops for human consumption because it routinely floods and is reinvigorated with river sediment.
Additionally, when UNR
installed the HDFI in the VRFL hoop houses, the Master Gardener program was
displaced. The hoop houses provided Master Gardeners a place to experiment with different crops suitable for home
gardening and to grow seedlings for the hugely popular Plant Faire
fundraiser. The University of Nevada,Cooperative Extension estimates that in 2011 the Master Gardener program
contributed $230,000 in volunteer effort to the community; the value of their
food-growing expertise is incalculable. The number of new home gardeners has increased
steadily for years – the Master Gardener program is need now more than ever.
The average American farmer
is 57 years old. Large numbers of them will
retire soon and we will need new young farmers to take their place. An increasing number of young people are drawn
to agriculture and are enrolling at universities with sustainable-agriculture
degree and certification programs; students want to learn how to use cutting
edge technology to produce food in a sustainable way, free of pesticides and
herbicides.
Local experts in sustainable agriculture, CABNR, and UNCE recently came together to develop the Main Station
Field Laboratory Strategic Plan, for consideration by UNR and the Regents. This plan demonstrates what a cutting edge
program might look like; it includes programs like small plot development, a small farm incubator program, and small farm certification programs. Our university system still holds the agricultural assets necessary to develop this
kind of program – a degree program that will draw young people here and keep
Nevada’s students in-state. This land is vital to a 21st century program.
The only USDA certified meat processing and packaging facility in Nevada, Wolf Pack Meats (WPM), is located on the Main Station Field Laboratory. Many Nevada ranchers and farmers use this facility because it is close and the USDA stamp allows them to sell their products by piece directly to consumers. The proposed zoning will result in development next to a slaughtering facility, which historically has shown to be in conflict with commercial activities, as complaints about odors, noise, and activities will ensue. When this happens Nevadans will lose an agricultural infrastructure treasure that is important for our economy and local food security.
UNR has repeatedly assured us they will not, and have no intention to, close Wolf Pack Meats (WPM), however recent administrative decisions put the facility at risk.
The only USDA certified meat processing and packaging facility in Nevada, Wolf Pack Meats (WPM), is located on the Main Station Field Laboratory. Many Nevada ranchers and farmers use this facility because it is close and the USDA stamp allows them to sell their products by piece directly to consumers. The proposed zoning will result in development next to a slaughtering facility, which historically has shown to be in conflict with commercial activities, as complaints about odors, noise, and activities will ensue. When this happens Nevadans will lose an agricultural infrastructure treasure that is important for our economy and local food security.
UNR has repeatedly assured us they will not, and have no intention to, close Wolf Pack Meats (WPM), however recent administrative decisions put the facility at risk.
Before
the UNR meat sciences program was closed WPM operated as a research facility,
not a business. When UNR and community stakeholders met in early 2012 to review
the WPM financials, they determined that it was operating in the red. The group
agreed that a 12 cent per pound increase would keep WPM open and in the black
as a UNR business entity, maintain access for the ranchers and farmers who
process their animals at the facility, and bring the prices in line with other
area meat packing companies.
At
an August 2012 follow-up meeting, UNR and stakeholders determined that WPM was indeed
operating in the black and was no longer a burden on the University. CABNR has plans
to hire an animal nutritionist to conduct research involving processing at WPM,
thereby returning part of the operation of the facility to research.
Stakeholders at that meeting were given the impression that this was sufficient
to maintain current prices at WPM.
Recently,
UNR announced an additional 12 cent increase, to take effect March 14,
2013.The cumulated 24 cent per pound cost hike results in a 36% cost increase for local farmers, ranchers, and
consumers. WPM is operating in the black and has a nine-month waiting list so a price increase is not necessary to keep the facility financially viable. However, these prices will be a big blow to many of our ranchers and farmers. They
will be forced to take their business elsewhere, providing UNR a reason to close WPM due to lack of use.
Governor Sandoval recently indentified agriculture as a huge economic driver for Nevada. UNR could enhance Nevada’s agricultural economy, address stakeholder concerns, and help create jobs by revitalizing the agriculture research program.
In his letter to the RGJ editor on February 6th Michael Harper pointed out a good reason for the Council to reject this proposal: Regional planning based on one institution’s financial plans does not address the needs of the community at large.
As a community that values local food, open space preservation and floodplain conservation, and our land grant university’s intended purpose, the community expects the City of Reno, City of Sparks, and Washoe County master plans to be updated to reflect this trend and tie into the Governor's proposed state plan as it applies to flooding and agriculture.
Please come to the Reno City Council meeting on March 27th and support the effort to keep this land in use as intended – as a floodplain and farmland.
We would like to get a count of people that will show up at the meeting. If you plan to attend, please email a "yes" to RSVP@greatbasinfood.coop by March 15. Contact your local, county, and state representatives, as well as
the Board of Regents, and ask them to support the rezoning of the 104 acres of UNR farmland to open space.
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