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3 <br />Total Grant Request = $56,000 <br />$1,000 Outreach and advertising <br />$4,000 Workshop/Webinar Direct Costs (2 in-person events with participant <br />lunches; venue fees; chair rentals; handout materials; guest speaker <br />fees/travel; webinar platform fees for 1 webinar) <br />$11,000 Rangeland Trust labor <br />$10,000 ACRCD labor <br />$30,000 - Revolving fund for appraisals: <br />One of the largest obstacles to pursuing conservation easements is determining the <br />value of the property, which requires an independent appraisal by a professional <br />certified for determining the per-acre value of the easement. Because the appraiser <br />represents the property owner, the property owner is expected to pay for the appraisal. <br />Such an appraisal can cost upwards of $10,000. This upfront cost can serve as a <br />significant barrier for someone looking to pursue an easement, and it also can <br />significantly reduce the net profit for the landowner when selling an easement, <br />making the transaction financially impracticable. <br />To solve this problem, we propose a revolving fund of $30,000 for appraisals to <br />mitigate this up-front finance barrier. The initial size of the fund would allow for <br />three (estimated at $10,000 each) appraisals and subsequent easement projects to <br />occur simultaneously in the ALOSC funding area. The DC Ranch grant that was <br />approved in 2023 included $8,000 for its appraisal. To guard against speculative <br />appraisals being commissioned by landowners, an appraisal paid from the revolving <br />fund would only be authorized after a land trust such as the Rangeland Trust had <br />thorough conversations with the landowners, determined they were serious, and had <br />made its own professional assessment of the land, its conservation values, and the <br />likelihood that a successful transaction would occur. Only then would an independent <br />professional appraisal be authorized. When a grant for the easement is approved, the <br />grant would cover the up-front cost of the appraisal, which would then be repaid to <br />the revolving fund for future appraisals. The revolving fund will be held and managed <br />by the ACRCD. <br />Report back to the ALOSC: <br />At the first Open Space Committee meeting in 2025, we will report back. The report will <br />include: <br />•How many invitations were sent to Alameda County ranchers and other landowners, as <br />well as a description of other ways the workshops and webinar were publicized. <br />Page 258 of 454