Keep Working Farms Working: Senator Dave Cortese’s Senate Bill 462 to Permanently Protect Food Security, Wildlife, Water Quality & Agricultural Land Development Passed by the California Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water

SACRAMENTO – The California Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water today passed without objection 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 be available to all 58 counties statewide and will contribute to the preservation of up to 12,000 acres in Santa Clara County alone.

The agriculture protection bill now goes to Senate Appropriations.  

“This bill is more important than ever with all the cuts to food programs by the Trump Administration. SB 462 will safeguard food security by maintaining productive farmland,” said State Senator Dave Cortese. “Most importantly the ag easement program makes it economically possible for a new generation of aspiring farmers to work the land.”

Senator Cortese has spent years leading efforts to preserve farmland in Santa Clara County, where his family has farmed and ranched for generations. He oversaw the creation of the county’s award-winning Agricultural Plan and co-chaired the Agricultural Preservation Task Force, which worked to curb the conversion of nearly 28,391 acres of viable farmland and rangeland to development and successfully preserved 12,000 acres of agricultural land.

Growing up in the east foothills of the Mt. Hamilton Range in a farming community, Senator Cortese understands firsthand the need to strike a balance between urban development and protecting fertile working lands.

In partnership with local stakeholders, he also helped develop the Agricultural Resilience Incentive Grant Program-the first of its kind- which supports growers in adopting climate-smart practices like carbon farming. This program is a key initiative from the County’s multi-award-winning Santa Clara Valley Agricultural Plan, which Senator Cortese helped develop as Task Force Co-Chair.

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. “  

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.

Here is a YouTube video of Senator Cortese’s remarks on Senate Bill 462 to the California Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water: Senator Cortese on Keeping Working Farms Working

###