MALT’s mission is to “protect the future of farming in Marin County from mounting pressures for development.” But the sprawl Marin residents feared would overtake West Marin was extinguished nearly 50 years ago when the County adopted A-60 zoning, limiting development to one house per 60 acres. MALT, founded by Marin’s largest landowners,[i] has since spent $90 million dollars[ii] to “preserve” land that can’t be developed.
Before Measure A, MALT’s funds came from donors. After Measure A passed in 2012, $25 million public dollars were available for MALT easements.[iii] The recipients of these funds are chosen in closed-door MALT Board meetings. Of $14.3 million MALT received through Measure A, half went to MALT's Board and their relatives[iv] for easements on land under A-60 zoning. Marin's Supervisors unanimously approved all of MALT's Measure A grants. This should give the Supervisors, and the voting public, pause when it comes to renewing Measure A.
MALT currently has applications pending for $10 million in unspent Measure A funds.[v] One ranch seeking a $3.8 million easements is described as: "not threatened by imminent sale, nor is it threatened by a non‐agricultural buyer at this time. However, it is in a very desirable location for potential estate buyers because it is close to the coast and easily accessible to public roads.” An annotation for another project seeking Measure A funds reads: “... only 1 acre of grazing land, and only 135 acres of prime Ag land out of 732 acres? Does this fall under (Gary) Giacomini's quote of we saved/protected because we could, not because it was good Ag land?”[vi]
With West Marin’s agricultural lands well-defended by zoning, including 50,000 acres under MALT easement—none of them open to public use—why dedicate more public funds to Marin’s Measure A millionaires?
[i] MALTs articles is attached and link is here: MALT’s Articles of Incorporation for list of founders.
APN | OWNER | SQ. FT. | ACRES |
121-050-18 | LAFRANCHI LAND COMPANY LLC * | 16,162,938 | 371 |
121-050-32 | LAFRANCHI LAND COMPANY LLC * | 13,355,060 | 307 |
121-050-41 | LAFRANCHI LAND COMPANY LLC * | 14,185,750 | 326 |
121-050-30 | LAFRANCHI LAND COMPANY LLC * | 6,618,942 | 152 |
121-120-01 | LAFRANCHI, ANN, BRUCE, EDWARD & ANN, MARK * | 21,935,509 | 504 |
121-100-04 | LAFRANCHI, ANN, BRUCE, EDWARD & ANN, MARK andJUDITH DONAHUE * | 16,037,050 | 368 |
125-050-13 | DOLCINI, BRIAN, CALVIN, DAVID, EARL & MARY TR, ERIC, KENNETH, PHILLIP, ANNE | 15,376,680 | 353 |
125-050-12 | DOLCINI, BRIAN, CALVIN, DAVID, EARL & MARY TR, ERIC, KENNETH, PHILLIP, ANNE | 7,492,320 | 172 |
125-050-06 | DOLCINI, BRIAN, CALVIN, DAVID, EARL & MARY TR, ERIC, KENNETH, PHILLIP, ANNE | 14,941,080 | 343 |
125-050-10 | DOLCINI, BRIAN, CALVIN, DAVID, EARL & MARY TR, ERIC, KENNETH, PHILLIP, ANNE | 5,445,000 | 125 |
125-050-03 | DOLCINI, BRIAN, CALVIN, DAVID, EARL & MARY TR, ERIC, KENNETH, PHILLIP, ANNE | 14,461,920 | 332 |
125-050-08 | DOLCINI, BRIAN, CALVIN, DAVID, EARL & MARY TR, ERIC, KENNETH, PHILLIP, ANNE | 1,960,200 | 45 |
125-050-02 | DOLCINI JERSEY DAIRY, EARL AND MARY MARGARET TRUST | 14,234,537 | 327 |
121-020-04 | DOLCINI, BRIAN, CALVIN, DAVID, EARL & MARY TR, ERIC, KENNETH, PHILLIP, ANNE | 13,721,400 | 315 |
121-040-03 | DOLCINI, BRIAN, CALVIN, DAVID, EARL & MARY TR, ERIC, KENNETH, PHILLIP, ANNE | 17,424,000 | 400 |
A.L. Poncia – Poncia “G” Ranch is 750 acres. Poncia “A” Ranch is 269 acres. See: https://malt.org/where-we-work/
Ralph and Judy Grossi are heirs of Domenico Grossi (1874-1957) who own real property in Marin property totaling over 6,600 ACRES.
APN | OWNER | SQ. FT. | ACRES |
121-010-01 | EVANS DOLORES V | 25,641,594 | 589 |
121-010-02 | EVANS DOLORES V | 17,816,040 | 409 |
106-210-10 | GIACOMINI RICHARD L & DARLENE* | 9,446,422 | 217 |
106-110-06 | GIACOMINI RICHARD L & DARLENE* | 26,571,600 | 610 |
125-090-20 | GROSSI EDWARD R** | 28,270,440 | 649 |
125-090-09 | GROSSI EDWARD R** | 9,626,760 | 221 |
125-090-23 | GROSSI GEORGE & MARY*** | 18,992,160 | 436 |
119-050-17 | GALLAGHER FAMILY LLC | 14,378,720 | 330 |
125-040-09 | SPALETTA PAUL E & | 3,401,165 | 78 |
100-350-03 | SPALETTA DAIRY | 7,823,376 | 180 |
100-010-02 | SPALETTA DAIRY | 27,486,360 | 631 |
100-010-01 | SPALETTA DAIRY | 27,834,840 | 639 |
125-060-03 | SPALETTA RANCH CORP | 12,031,272 | 276 |
125-030-06 | SPALETTA RANCH CORP | 21,614,472 | 496 |
100-020-23 | SPALETTA JAMES & MARION TRUST^^ | 7,135,999 | 164 |
106-140-17 | SPALETTA PAUL E & ETAL | 9,016,920 | 207 |
106-140-09 | SPALETTA PAUL E & ETAL | 3,973,108 | 91 |
106-140-25 | SPALETTA PAUL E & ETAL | 6,578,867 | 151 |
106-140-24 | SPALETTA PAUL E & ETAL | 1,209,226 | 28 |
106-140-23 | SPALETTA PAUL E & ETAL | 11,336,054 | 260 |
TOTAL | 6,662 |
Ranch | Year | Price | Ranch | Year | Price | Ranch | Year | Price |
Lavio Ranch | 1983 | $100,640 | Pozzi Ranch | 1993 | $400,000 | Cypress Lane Ranch | 2009 | $2,495,000 |
Pomi Ranch | 1983 | $149,184 | Ryan Ranch | 1993 | $860,000 | Toluma Farms | 2010 | $290,000 |
Stevens Ranch | 1983 | $0 | Black Mountain Ranch | 1993 | $960,000 | Mazzucchi Ranch | 2010 | $424,000 |
Skywalker Ranch | 1985 | $0 | Faith Ranch | 1993 | $130,000 | Corda F Ranch | 2011 | $2,913,400 |
Walker Creek Ranch | 1986 | $0 | Dolcini F Ranch | 1994 | $980,000 | Thornton Ranch | 2011 | $2,329,500 |
Stubbs Ranch | 1986 | $165,550 | Corda Ranch | 1994 | $1,000,000 | Moretti Ranch | 2012 | $530,000 |
Rosewood Ranch | 1986 | $153,725 | Volpi Ranch | 1994 | $320,000 | Barboni Ranch | 2012 | $1,346,000 |
Cerini Ranch | 1986 | $144,000 | Ielmorini D&C Dairy | 1998 | $400,000 | Barboni Ranch | 2012 | $2,340,000 |
Lafranchi Ranch | 1986 | $435,000 | Ielmorini T Ranch | 1999 | $590,000 | Stemple Creek Ranch | 2013 | $1,454,000 |
Cow Track Ranch | 1987 | $180,000 | Chileno Valley Ranch | 2000 | $580,000 | Rocky Canyon Ranch | 2014 | $1,807,000 |
Giacomini R Ranch | 1988 | $330,400 | Burbank Ranch | 2000 | $260,000 | Paradise Valley Ranch | 2014 | $2,500,000 |
Barinaga Ranch | 1988 | $500,000 | Parks Ranch | 2001 | $248,000 | Fallon Ranch | 2015 | $825,000 |
Spaletta Ranch | 1988 | $308,125 | Jensen A Ranch | 2001 | $376,000 | Gallagher North Bend Ranch | 2016 | $1,485,000 |
Hamlet Ranch | 1989 | $208,334 | Big Rock Ranch | 2001 | n/a | Wilson Hill Road Ranch | 2016 | $2,300,000 |
Spaletta Ranch | 1990 | $380,125 | Moody Family Dairy | 2002 | $521,000 | Dolcini-Beltrametti Ranch | 2017 | $1,666,500 |
Spirit Rock Meditation Center | 1990 | $0 | Barboni Ranch | 2002 | $2,330,000 | Stanley Martinelli Ranch | 2017 | $1,815,000 |
Neil McIsaac & Son Dairy | 1991 | $326,000 | Zimmerman Ranch | 2003 | $677,000 | Evans Nicasio Ranch | 2017 | $3,285,000 |
Pozzi-Wolcott Ranch | 1991 | $425,700 | Lanatti Ranch | 2003 | $943,000 | Furlong Ranch | 2018 | $2,619,000 |
Pozzi North Ranch | 1991 | $343,656 | Leiss Ranch | 2003 | $542,500 | Bianchini Ranch | 2018 | $3,594,000 |
Pozzi South Ranch | 1991 | $239,424 | Marindale Ranch | 2003 | $1,870,000 | McIsaac J Ranch | 2018 | $3,427,000 |
Dolcini-Davidson Ranch | 1991 | $1,090,000 | Irving-Merz-Phillips Lands | 2003 | $0 | Luiz Ranch | 2018 | $0 |
Jensen Ranch | 1992 | $200,000 | Nicasio Land Preserve | 2004 | $0 | Millerton Creek Ranch | 2018 | $2,680,000 |
Poncia A Ranch / Stemple Creek Ranch | 1992 | $347,000 | Moore Ranch | 2004 | $1,751,000 | Ielmorini Back Ranch | 2019 | $3,032,000 |
Dolcini L&R Ranch | 1992 | $765,000 | Giacomini Dairy | 2005 | $1,860,000 | Leali Ranch | 2021 | $1,100,000 |
Stemple Creek Ranch | 1992 | $220,500 | Jacobsen Ranch | 2005 | $715,000 | Total |
| $90,764,595 |
Mitchell Ranch | 1992 | $317,000 | Jacobsen Ranch | 2005 | $1,385,000 | |||
Brazil Ranch | 1992 | $1,000,000 | Pozzi M&S Ranch | 2005 | $4,131,000 | |||
Straus Home Ranch | 1992 | $223,768 | Longmeadow Ranch | 2006 | $1,000,000 | |||
Blakes Landing Farms | 1992 | $664,564 | Crayne Ranch | 2007 | $1,020,000 | |||
Fallon Hills Ranch | 1992 | $330,000 | Longmeadow Ranch | 2007 | $1,000,000 | |||
Respini Ranch | 1992 | $1,240,000 | Poncia G Ranch/ Stemple Creek | 2007 | $2,000,000 | |||
Ellis Ranch | 1992 | $130,000 | Blue Jay Ranch | 2008 | $1,160,000 | |||
Sartori Ranch | 1993 | $900,000 | Dolcini Red Hill Ranch | 2008 | $2,680,000 |
[iii] “It is estimated that the Measure A sales tax generates about $16 million each year.” See: https://www.parks.marincounty.org/about-us/measure-a Therefore, over the course of 9 years, Measure A generated $144,000,000. 20% of that was allocated to ranching = $28.8 million. 95% went to conservation easement efforts = $27,360,000. See: Ordinance 3586.
[iv] Easements from MALT board members and family:
2014 5.20 - $537,000 - Thacher | |
2015 8.4 - $412,000 - Murphy | |
2015 12.8 - $742,500 -Gallagher | |
2016 4.19 - $1,115,000 - Wilson Hill | |
2016 10.25 - $844,275 - Dolcini-Beltrametti | |
2016 12.13 - $916,599 - E. Martinelli | |
2017 9.12 - $1,662,012 - Evans-Giacomini | |
2017 12.5 - $1,332,650 - Furlong | |
2018 1.23 - $1,817,950 - Taylor | |
2018 3.13 - $1,731,850 - McIsaac | |
2018 9.18 - $1,717,400 - Millerton | |
2019 6.4 - $1,516,000 - Ielmorini | |
TOTAL = $14,345,236 |
[v] Application is attached to email, and link to Application is here: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60415647fe0cc52d1cc66170/t/627ed758fe23c73bf8c929cf/1652479843928/PRA+22-101+Records.pdf
[vi] Oral History attached, and link to history is here: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/60415647fe0cc52d1cc66170/t/6298ca52efbd6358fd54c241/1654180434806/Gary+Giacomini+Oral+History+2011.pdf