SACRAMENTO – Today, to help safeguard California’s natural resources and reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions, the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) approved more than $65 million in grants to protect agricultural lands on the outskirts of cities from development and support for local governments to develop regional agricultural land conservation strategies.
The seventh annual round of funding from SGC’s Sustainable Agricultural Conservation Program (SALC) will help create 19 agricultural easements in 15 counties as far north as Shasta County and as far south as Imperial County and comprise approximately 26,916 acres. When completed, the suite of easements and fee title acquisitions will avoid an estimated 2.4 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Equivalence Calculator, this year’s easements are equivalent to taking 521,952 passenger vehicles off the road for one year.
In addition to funding 19 agricultural easements, the SALC grants will also support projects by two councils of government and one county to develop plans supporting the protection of agricultural resources, infill development, and the sustainable use of natural resources.
"Through the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program, the State invests in conservation projects promoting infill development, reduce climate emissions, and safeguard California’s natural resources for generations to come,” said Lynn von Koch-Liebert, Executive Director of the California Strategic Growth Council. “Immense congratulations to the awardees, landowners, farmers, ranchers, and local leaders that are committed to stewarding California’s environmental and ecological resources.”
SALC program funding is a part of the State’s broad efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To date, SGC has awarded over $1 billion in California Climate Investments funding through its competitive grant programs to facilitate that goal. The SALC program and its investments are also a critical strategy and tool in achieving the Governor’s Natural and Working Lands Executive Order N-82-20. SGC administers the SALC program in partnership with the California Department of Conservation.
“I am happy to announce awards under the 7th round of SALC funding, which conserves valuable agricultural lands while reducing carbon emissions,” said David Shabazian, Director of the California Department of Conservation. “We are proud of our role in working with local partners, landowners and the California Strategic Growth Council to make this program successful. This just one example of how local-state partnerships can help California achieve its climate goals.
The seventh round of awards bring the total awards made through the SALC program to approximately $298.8 million, supporting 142 easement projects, 2 fee-title acquisitions, and 27 planning grants.
SALC Round 7 Awardees:
Easement grants
- Shasta Land Trust
- Solano Land Trust
- Sutter Buttes Regional Land Trust
- Land Trust of Santa Cruz County (2 grants)
- California Rangeland Trust (2 grants)
- California Farmland Trust (2)
- Trust for Public Land
- Northcoast Regional Land Trust
- Northern California Regional Land Trust
- Ag Land Trust (3 grants)
- Placer Land Trust (2 grants)
- Land Trust of San Luis Obispo County
- American Farmland Trust
Planning grants
- Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments
- Metropolitan Planning Commission/Association of Bay Area Governments
- Yolo County
Access summaries for each easement and planning grant.
Media Contact
California Strategic Growth Council:
Luis Jimenez, (916) 695-0049 SGC.press@sgc.ca.gov
About the California Strategic Growth Council
With a guiding vision—healthy, thriving, and resilient communities for all—the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC), a cabinet level body, coordinates and works collaboratively with public agencies, communities, and stakeholders to achieve sustainability, equity, economic prosperity, and quality of life for all Californians with a focus on the state’s most disadvantaged communities. SGC implements its mission through four key activities: making investments in infrastructure and conservation programs; conducting outreach and providing technical assistance to support of communities seeking to access these investments and leading and supporting integrated policy initiatives that align with SGC’s mission. Learn more at sgc.ca.gov.
California Department of Conservation
With a team of scientists and other dedicated professionals, the Department of Conservation (DOC) administers a variety of programs vital to California's public safety, environment and economy. The services DOC provides are designed to balance today's needs with tomorrow's obligations by fostering the wise use and conservation of energy, land and mineral resources.
California Climate Investments
California Climate Investments is a statewide initiative that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment—particularly in disadvantaged communities.