Introduction: California increases support for agricultural easements

Originally called the Agricultural Land Stewardship Program, the CFCP is the only statewide program dedicated to protecting farmland with conservation easements. While two state agencies (the Coastal Conservancy and Wildlife Conservation Board) can also fund easements, they tend to focus on open space and wildlife habitat rather than keeping farmland in active production. To date, the CFCP has awarded about $16 million to fund 50 agricultural easements that protect more than 13,000 acres. An additional $14 million in matching funds came from other sources, including landowner donations, the federal Farmland Protection Program and private foundations. The CFCP currently receives $1.5 million per year from the state general fund and about $5 million per year from Proposition 12, which will :ontinue to fund conservation easements through 1003, CFCP manager Charles Tyson says. After that, the CFCP hopes that voters will apxove Proposition 40. “A lot depends on the sublic’s willingness to increase the frequency of ’unding,” Tyson says. Other funding mechanisms include private bundations, local bond issues and local taxes. For nstance, Marin County allocates part of its prop?rty tax to Marin Agricultural Land Trust, and jonoma County has a unique quarter-cent sales tax jedicated partly to protecting farmland around :ity edges. The Packard Foundation funds agricul-