What bonds bought

County spent most of $68M on 7 ranches and a farm

By Brad Branan

Most of the $68 million spent on open space under a 2004 bond program has bought ranch or farm property in Pima County.

In what has been a hot real estate market, an incentive offered to ranchers and farmers has lowered the price of land that might have otherwise been too expensive for the county. The county allows ranchers and farmers continued use of the land while stopping further development, a goal of the county's Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan.

The deals have helped Pima County protect important plants and wildlife and preserve a ranching tradition dating back to the area's settlement, officials say. The county has spent a little under half of the $164 million approved for open space purchases in the May 2004 bond election.

Of that, $50 million has bought land on seven ranches and a farm, property that makes up 92% of the land acquired under the bond program.

FULL STORY: http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/37922.php