Farmland

I read once again, in a Dec. 5 letter to the editor, that "there are persistent rumors that the farmland will be sold" at Pierce College. I have been the president of Pierce College for 2 1/2 years. During that time I have never once heard any official of the college or the Los Angeles Community College District give any consideration whatsoever to the sale of any of Pierce College's land. What has been discussed is how Pierce College is going to be able to survive the current financial crisis.

The City Council added its voice to a chorus pleading with the board of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District not to sell the farm, so to speak. The council voted unanimously Monday to lease the 18 acres of farmland surrounding Costa Mesa High School in order to build an athletic complex. The city has spent a year negotiating a lease on the property, which is owned by the school district, and agreed to pay $100,000 annually. Additionally, the city agreed to spend from $1.7 million to $2.

A long-brewing debate over the future of Pierce College farmland resurfaced this week, as a developer presented a preliminary proposal to a college panel to convert part of the property into a golf course and golf education complex. College officials said the concept, unveiled at a meeting of the planning committee for the Pierce College Council, has initially found favor with the administration because of its educational purpose.

Chinese officials vowed Wednesday to crack down on land seizures that are displacing as many as 1 million farmers a year and increasing public unrest. The move is part of Beijing's effort to balance nearly three decades of lopsided economic development that favors urban areas over rural ones by now fostering a "new socialist countryside."

RUSSIA * Russia's lower house of parliament passed a bill that would allow the sale of farmland for the first time since 1917 but would let foreigners lease, not buy it. The long-awaited reform is now almost certain to become law. Analysts said it will invite investment in one of the most backward sectors of the economy. The farmland in the world's largest country is estimated to be worth at least $80 trillion. Much of it is controlled by debt-laden collective farms.

Re "Farmland Likely to Become Upscale Santa Ana Houses," Oct. 6: When one of the last undisturbed parcels of local farmland is allocated for the bulldozer, you can be sure that the quest for 30 more pieces of silver is involved. But since the clan members involved already have incredible 401(k)s, why not leave something to the county that would perpetuate their name in a beloved rather than mercenary light and preserve a portion of Orange County history as well? Rather than becoming yet another gated megaplex, the acreage could be turned into a children's farm experience, similar to the Dana Point shipboard program for school kids.

A settlement was reached Friday in U.S. District Court in Fresno that will allow the U.S. government to purchase 33,000 acres of salt-poisoned farmland from growers in the Westlands Water District. The agreement settled a 15-year-old lawsuit against the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for failing to complete a drainage system in the district. That led to the buildup of salt and other minerals in some fields, according to allegations in the lawsuit.

The San Juan Capistrano City Council on Tuesday night took a first step toward buying 200 acres of farmland to prevent its development. The council agreed to a proposal by Mayor Gary Hausdorfer that the city hire consultants to study the idea of selling a municipal bond to raise money for the land. That bond, if approved by voters, would act as a savings account, giving the city funds to buy land from farmers in the open market.

In an effort to fill the need for more athletic fields in Costa Mesa, city officials are finalizing plans to turn 18 acres of farmland into soccer fields and basketball courts. The plan to convert the farm next to Costa Mesa High School, 2650 Fairview Road, is nearly complete and will be presented to each of the three governmental agencies next month, officials said.

For nearly 50 years, Bill Barnes and his family have tilled the dry, sandy soils of the Antelope Valley, praying for rain and hoping to grow enough barley to scratch out a living. In all that time, Barnes figures he never got a single offer from a real estate agent to purchase his land. But that changed last year just after a newspaper article announced a developer's plans to build a huge new community in the open desert some miles away.