Food Security, Wildlife, Water Quality & Development Protections All Included in Senator Cortese’s Senate Bill 462 To Permanently Preserve California Agricultural Land

SACRAMENTO – In a move to safeguard food security by maintaining productive farmland, California State Senator Dave Cortese today introduced Senate Bill 462 requiring a yearly $20-million appropriation to the California Farmland Conservancy Program (CFCP) to permanently preserve California agricultural lands through conservation easements. The money will contribute to the preservation of up to 12,000 acres in Santa Clara County alone.

An agricultural conservation easement (ACE) is a voluntary agreement that limits development on land used for farming and ranching. The easements are legally recorded on the property deed and remain in place even if the land changes ownership.

“The key reasons for conservation easements are food security, economic impact, environmental benefits, wildlife protection water quality protection legal protection, community benefits and development pressure,” said California State Senator Dave Cortese who comes from an agricultural background.

The CFCP was established by the California Farmland Conservancy Program Act of 1995.  As of January 2024, the program has received $88.6 million and preserved 59,460 acres of farmland.

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