Greenline

The Greenline is a boundary that separates urban from agricultural uses along Chico's western border. The goal of the green line policy is to protect prime agricultural soils south, west and north of Chico from urban development. The policy is subject to review every five years. To consider boundary modifications, two findings must be made:

  • the public benefits of converting agricultural land to urban use must substantially outweigh the public benefits of continued agricultural production, and
  • there are no other urban and suburban lands reasonably available and suitable for proposed development.

The Greenline policy remains controversial.

Pressures to extend the urban area beyond the current green line include the following reasons:

  • declining soil quality,
  • declining land values, and
  • agricultural and urban conflict due to a lack of buffer zones.

Over the past 24 years, Jane Dolan (the "mother" of the Greenline) and BEC have continually supported the Greenline. BEC representatives have attended public hearings and written letters during the Greenline creation and each subsequent policy review.

The Greenline has been challenged in the last few years while the Butte County General Plan is being revised. Developers are trying to eat away at the boundaries with developments. BEC, along with many others, actively support and fight for the Greenline.

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