More Zoning part 3

A 75 year conservation plan for the Coachella Valley was recently approved. The plan sets aside 240,000 acres in the Coachella Valley to be paid for ( $526 million) by developer fees, landfill fees, and what the PE reports as eligible state and federal funds. Supposedly, the land is to be purchased over 30 years from sellers at fair market value. To get an idea of how large 240,000 acres is the PE states it is equivalent to 15 cities of the size of Palm Desert. Despite monopolizing a tremendous amount of land the article indicates that this plan will facilitate more development in the area because the governing agencies will be able to issue more permits on less sensitive areas.