Measure A is key to MALT’s agricultural conservation easements – Marin Independent Journal

Swallows fly over Stemple Creek on the McDowell Ranch near Tomales on Tuesday, July 12, 2022. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal)

Since its passage in 2012, Measure A (reaffirmed by voters in 2022) has been extremely successful in supporting Marin’s stated commitment to “conserving agricultural lands and resources” statewide plan.

Since 2012, over $100 million in Measure A funds have been invested in parks and open space, sustainable agriculture and recreation in cities and towns in Marin, with $19.7 million going toward farmland preservation.

Because Measure A covers up to half the cost of agricultural protection measures, the Marin Agricultural Land Trust has received ongoing funding from other public state and federal agencies, as well as private donors, to protect agricultural lands in Marin County. As a result, the $19.7 million provided by Measure A was used to invest a total of $39.4 million in agricultural land protection.

Partnering with MALT under Measure A allows the county to achieve its land protection goals at a much lower cost than either entity could achieve alone. This collaboration has resulted in the protection of 15 farms and ranches totaling more than 9,725 acres – a model and inspiration for agricultural regions throughout the county.

Without Measure A and the funding to support it, Marin County is at risk of losing productive farmland. According to the American Farmland Trust, 2,000 acres of farmland are paved, fragmented or used for purposes that threaten agriculture every day. Over the next 15 years, one-third of America’s farmland and ranch land is likely to change hands as current landowners age and sell.

Look at what is happening in nearby Solano County. The California Forever initiative to build a new “city from the ground up” would result in the loss of 17,500 acres of pastureland, taking land out of agricultural production. The risk is real and right on our doorstep.

Protected agricultural lands provide many benefits to the community beyond healthy local food and jobs for our neighbors. Well-managed agricultural lands sequester carbon and protect against wildfires. Much of Marin’s agricultural lands also serve as habitat for beloved wildlife species like salmon and bald eagles.

To date, MALT has used Measure A funds to protect 37 miles of streams, 4,591 acres of grassland, 1,613 acres of forest, 45 acres of wetlands, seven beef cattle farms and one dairy farm, five pasture farms for young dairy cows, one pasture-raised egg production farm, and two row crop farms.