continued from previous page he’s talking about the lawsuit that’s dominated the last decade of his life, although he grumbles about the county “pissing its money away” on the lawsuit. And he declines to talk about his own finances. Despite a successful career as a developer, he insists he never bought land with much money of his own. He says the Tooby ranch would have been “very profitable,” but those profits all went into his attorney’s fees. Walking around the mill at Whitethorn Construction, he lamented the costs and time spent on the lawsuit that he would have put into that business. He blames the county but admits his own stubbornness, too, contributed to the lengthy lawsuit. “I didn’t want to cave in, no, no.” Asked to estimate his current worth, he sounds bitter. “Are they trying to say I made out like a bandit on this piece of real estate?” he said. “I think it’s none of their goddamn business if you ask me.” It’s hard to tell if he’s declining to discuss his own wealth or any possible financial troubles, although he insists he’s not a wealthy man. For its part, the county has spent at least $3 million on outside attorneys, according to public records that were released following a separate lawsuit filed by the developer-friendly Humboldt Coalition for Property Rights. That doesn’t include the amount of time that staff spent on the lawsuit over 10 years, which the county does not keep detailed records of.
During the time of the law-
suit, political tides were changing in the county. Spurred by the Tooby Ranch and other county land use lawsuits, the Humboldt Coalition for Property Rights was born (see “HumCPR Rising,” March 28). The group and its allies formed the most cohesive bloc of development-friendly landowners that the county had seen. And it was powerful. Four of five county supervisors and two planning commissioners have ties to the group. Last year, supervisors gutted planning director Kirk Girard’s department after years of pushing the Tooby Ranch lawsuit and battling with property rights advocates. He resigned shortly after, taking a job with Santa Clara County. Environmental consultant Sungnome Madrone is no stranger to conflicts with developers — he’s been at odds with former HumCPR treasurer and current Planning Commissioner Bob Morris over a development in Trinidad for years. Madrone’s not happy with the ascendance of developer-friendly politics in the county but said at least politicians’
According to county Planner intentions are getting more Martha Spencer, five of the apparent. “This board is get156 preserves, besides Tooby ting radical. I love it — they’re Ranch, have been found out exposing themselves.” of compliance because they Could that developerdropped ag production or friendly political shift threaten subdivided land. Environthe Williamson Act’s effectivemental consultant Sungnome ness in Humboldt County? Madrone says revisiting the Tasha McKee, Bob McKee’s Williamson Act, and Timber daughter and the executive Production Zone rules, would director of the land trust be an opportunity to expand nonprofit Sanctuary Forest, the incentive side of conservasaid it’s an opportunity to ease tion. If the county could work the minimum acreage allowin stewardship as an incentive, able under the Williamson Act. it would be less costly than “If ranchlands are going to be enforcement and punishment. sold — and they are — then But Friends of the Eel River we need to be really planning Director Scott Greacen said and looking at how we are gofocusing on incentives isn’t ing to keep those in agricultural enough. He called it “philoproduction,” Tasha said. sophically problematic” for She says sustainable farms counties to have to pay landcan be run on smaller pieces of owners to keep them from land than when the 600-acre wrecking the environment. guideline was established in 1978. “Back then on 600 acres, a steers comfortfamily could make a living with ably along the back roads just cows. That’s just not true of the Tooby Ranch, some today. Even on 13,000 acres you steep and dusty, others with can’t just run cows with Califortall grass between the wheel nia land prices so high.” tracks. As he hops out to open But many ranchers and farmheavy metal gates there’s ers disagree. They say that the a glow of pride and boyish Williamson Act’s tax breaks and excitement about him. He its minimum parcel size are McKee examines water tanks that feed cattle water troughs on points out roads he’s graded crucial for ranchers and small the Tooby Ranch. and culverts he’s added. He counties. insists that all 13,000 acres of “One hundred and sixty the ranch are in better shape acres doesn’t make a cattle be required to fund. The state stands now than when he bought it. ranch,” said farmer John LaBoyteaux, to miss out on at least twice what the McKee says his subdividing days chairman of an ad hoc committee the county loses from tax breaks. are over, though. His knee problems, county formed last year to look into the Still, the ad hoc committee has concombined with Humboldt County’s Williamson Act. “It never did.” cluded that Williamson Act tax breaks rocky slopes, make it too hard for him to He pointed to Judge Reinholtsen’s are worth keeping here because they traverse the land like he used to. “Maybe ruling, which said that leasing of small support a thriving livestock industry I could go to a part of the United States parcels is less economically viable than (grossing $36 million in 2011) and help that’s all flat,” he joked. owning a large ranch property (McKee’s prevent land sales to marijuana growers He is proud of the community that attorneys objected to this portion of and speculators. he helped create, flaws and all. Friends Reinholtsen’s ruling, saying there is no Land under a Williamson Act contract of the Eel River’s Scott Greacen praised requirement for economic viability under may be cheap enough for ranchers to McKee’s honesty and conviction, but was the Williamson Act, just the production buy it in large tracts. “If the land is sold less convinced that a hands-off approach of commodities). at its ag value — and it’s good grazing to community and environment was LaBoyteaux said he hasn’t heard much land — there’s every chance that a cattle beneficial in the long run. talk of lowering a minimum parcel size rancher will buy it,” LaBoyteaux said. That “We all tell ourselves stories — that for Williamson Act land. “I don’t think changes, he said, when the land is split up what we want and what might be good that the ag community would support a and sold at its “marijuana value.” for the world are the same thing.” change. I don’t think that my committee On top of that, the committee said With the specter of legalization would support a change.” in a draft report that’s expected to go looming, it’s anyone’s guess what will The county loses approximately to supervisors in August, Williamson happen to the county’s pot industry, the $200,000 a year in tax income and spends Act tax breaks keep down the costs for businesses and homesteads it supports, thousands more administering the Wilroads, fire protection and other infrathe land deals it fuels and the waterliamson Act. structure needed for more residential sheds it threatens. One thing is certain: The state also takes a hit on property development. Bob McKee will always be a chapter in taxes. County Auditor Joe Mellett said 67 McKee has not been the only propthe story. percent of collected property taxes go to erty owner to violate a Williamson l schools, which the state would otherwise Act contract with Humboldt County.
18 North Coast Journal • Thursday, July 11, 2013 • northcoastjournal.com
McKee