Sierra Resource Conservation District SALC Project
Assisting the Sierra Resource Conservation District in improving land access across the Central Valley
Background
The Sustainable Agriculture Lands Conservation Program (SALC) presents a unique opportunity to protect prime agricultural land from development and demonstrate more water-wise, regionally appropriate methods of farming. The Sierra Resource Conservation District (SRCD), with SALC Capacity funding, is developing a Land Access and Conservation program for Fresno County, one of the most agriculturally rich counties in the country and home to an incredible diversity of farmers and agricultural products.
The project plans is to acquire and conserve agricultural land to create demonstration sites for conservation practices and water-wise land stewardship while increasing land access for historically underserved farmers and tribal communities. The project is exploring partnerships with land-seekers who intend to implement soil and water conservation practices (such as farmers, farmer groups, tribes, non-profits) and transferring the protected land to land seekers. These activities aim to create a buy-protect-sell land access program for Fresno County. SRCD is developing the program in collaboration with partners who work with small-scale farmers and farmworker communities in the region.
Ultimately, this project will enable SRCD to become an entity that can acquire and conserve farmland and therefore play a role in protecting land from further urban sprawl and preventing land prices from rising further.
How the Tule Trust is Involved
The Tule Trust is excited to support SRCD as a partner and advisor in the development of a land access program that is not only applicable to Fresno County but could also be applied in Tulare County and beyond. The Trust engages in Land Access and Conservation Network meetings, gathers information from stakeholders to inform program policies, and provides feedback to SRCD on the development of its land transfer strategy.
The Tule Trust is looking forward to working with SRCD and others to develop a buy-protect-sell model that could be utilized to support small-scale farms across the Central Valley.
