That same week, the Butte County Board of Supervisors accepted staff recommendations from the Planning Committee for ratification of a land use general plan amendment which would require new zoning for habitat conversions.

Counties are concerned that conversions can amount to substantial changes in land use. Their concerns have focused on the loss of lands from the tax rolls, loss of Williamson Act financial assistance, impacts on agriculture-dependent businesses and increased wetlands that may be breeding areas for mosquitoes that transmit West Nile virus.

County government has a responsibility to protect the health, safety and welfare of all its citizens in an objective, consistent way. Conversions to habitat have landowners adjacent to wildlife habitat apprehensive about predation of crops, flooding, seepage, restrictions on farming practices and prosecution under the Endangered Species Act if they accidentally harm an endangered species.