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Local contact:
Marilyn Farley, Solano Land Trust, (707)
432-0150 ext. 201
SACRAMENTO – A newly
completed project in Solano County will
permanently shield 237 acres of prime
farmland from development and expand a
greenbelt between two growing
communities. Grants from the California
Department of Conservation and the USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service
made it possible for the Solano Land
Trust to create an agricultural
conservation easement on the acreage,
which adjoins the Vacaville-Dixon
Greenbelt.
“We’re pleased that
this family farm will always remain in
agricultural use,” said California
Secretary for Resources Mike Chrisman.
“Protecting valuable agricultural land
helps communities plan effectively for
local development, keeps wildlife
habitat available, and contributes to a
strong economy.”
The Escano family
farmed the acreage until retiring in the
early 1990s, at which time the property
was leased to tenant farmer Tom Galindo.
The Solano Land Trust (SLT) purchased
the first 152 acres of land from the
Escanos in 2003. SLT purchased the
remaining 85 acres and sold the farm to
the Galindo family in July 2006 with an
agricultural conservation easement in
place. With the development potential
removed, Tom Galindo and his wife Joy
were able to purchase the farm based on
its agricultural value. The transaction
further reduces pressure from rural
ranchette development in the Dixon Ridge
area.
“As the state’s
population continues to grow, it becomes
increasingly important to preserve our
top-quality farmland such as this
acreage in Dixon Ridge,” Department of
Conservation Director Bridgett Luther
said.
The state and federal
government each contributed $462,500
towards the purchase of the easement.
The California
Department of Conservation’s
contribution came from the bond-funded
California Farmland Conservancy Program
(CFCP), designed to support local
efforts to shield the state's most
valuable farmland from development.
Local governments and non-profit
organizations can receive CFCP grants to
purchase development rights from willing
landowners, thus creating permanent
conservation easements. To date, the
CFCP has provided more than $46 million
to permanently preserve more than 33,000
acres for agricultural usage.
The federal funding
came from the USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Farm and
Ranchlands Protection Program (FRPP).
The FRPP provides matching funds to help
purchase conservation easements to keep
productive farm and ranchlands in
agriculture. Working through existing
programs, NRCS partners with state,
tribal, or local governments and
non-governmental organizations to
acquire conservation easements or other
interests in land from landowners.
“We should never
forget that some of our healthiest lands
are also our ‘working lands,’ those in
the caring hands of farmers and
ranchers,” said NRCS State
Conservationist Lincoln “Ed” Burton.
“The Farm and Ranchlands Protection
Program provides one tool for helping
the stewards of these lands keep them
productive and protected.”
Founded in 1986,
Solano Land Trust (SLT) is a pioneering
collaboration between farmers,
environmentalists, developers, and local
government with the goal of preserving
the county’s agricultural legacy and
natural landscapes. SLT's mission is to
permanently preserve and protect
farmlands, open space, wetlands, and
wildlife habitat. The trust (www.solanolandtrust.org)
owns 10 properties comprising more than
10,500 acres, valued in excess of $16
million, and holds easements on 14
properties comprising 5,800 acres,
valued at about $11 million.
"We're very pleased
to have permanently preserved this prime
farmland while making it possible for
longtime tenant Tom Galindo and his wife
Joy to purchase the property," said
Marilyn Farley, Executive Director of
the Solano Land Trust. "The farm is
located in a high-priority area in SLT's
strategic plan for agricultural
protection because of its excellent
soils."
California's
agricultural production totaled nearly
$33 billion in 2004, by far the most in
the nation. However, land is being
urbanized throughout the state at an
ever-increasing rate. According to the
most
recent Department of
Conservation farmland conversion report,
93,000 acres — 29 percent of it
irrigated farmland — were urbanized
between 2000 and 2002.
Landowners and trusts
are encouraged to visit
DLRP to learn more about the state’s
farmland protection programs. The NRCS
has information available regarding soil
surveys to assist farmers in making the
best land use plans for the natural
capabilities of their area soils. Visit
www.nrcs.usda.gov/Programs.
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