Environmental groups sue over Sacramento development plans to convert 474 ccres of farmland to warehouses
Three environmental organizations filed a lawsuit yesterday against the Sacramento Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), challenging the city of Sacramento's approved expansion boundaries that would allow massive warehouse development on farmland in North Natomas.
Sierra Club, the Environmental Council of Sacramento, and Friends of the Swainson's Hawk filed the suit in Superior Court, arguing that the commission failed to conduct proper environmental review and violated its own policies when approving the 474-acre expansion.
The disputed land, currently used for agriculture, would be developed into 6 million square feet of warehouse space adjacent to wildlife preserves managed by the Natomas Basin Conservancy and near the Westlake Community and Paso Verde School.
The lawsuit centers on protecting the Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan, an agreeemtn that has been in place for over 25-years between the city, Sutter County, and federal and state wildlife agencies that has guided development in the region. Environmental groups argue the warehouse project would undermine this critical conservation framework.
"Our effort to save Natomas farmland and protect the Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan is important for the community and the economy," Heather Fargo, president of the Environmental Council of Sacramento and former Sacramento mayor who was in office when the 2003 conservation plan was adopted said. "It is important for local food supply, the local wildlife species, and maintaining open space and quality of life."
Sean Wirth, conservation chair for the Sierra Club Mother Lode Chapter, said the project would "gut the Natomas Basin Habitat Conservation Plan," noting that the Sacramento region lags behind other California metro areas in permanently conserving habitat and farmland.
The current 474-acre project is part of a larger development push in North Natomas. According to Jim Pachl, legal committee chair for Sierra Club, three additional projects under environmental review would total approximately 8,000 acres, potentially eliminating most agriculture and wildlife habitat in Sacramento County's portion of the Natomas Basin.
All the project sites are currently zoned for agriculture and lie outside the county's Urban Service Boundary and the city's General Plan Area.
"The landowners and SacLAFCo do not respect the law, the General Plans, the Air Quality Plan, and the NBHCP, and we must hold them accountable," said Judith Lamare, co-founder of Friends of the Swainson's Hawk.
The environmental groups, represented by attorney Patrick Soluri of Soluri-Meserve, are challenging the project on multiple fronts. They argue the Sacramento LAFCO conducted deficient environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act and failed to follow its own approval policies.
The lawsuit seeks to protect what environmental advocates describe as critical agricultural land that supports local food production, wildlife habitat, and quality of life in the region. The outcome could set precedent for future development battles as Sacramento County faces pressure to accommodate growth while preserving farmland and natural areas.
The case highlights tensions between development interests and conservation efforts in one of California's fastest-growing regions, where agricultural land continues to face pressure from urban expansion.
As a matter of policy, government agencies like the City of Sacramento and Sacramento LAFCO do not comment on pending litigation.
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