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Senate panel advances bill to create ongoing $20 million appropriation for farmland conservation
Summary
SB 462 would establish a $20 million annual appropriation to the California Farmland Conservancy Program (CFCP) to fund agricultural conservation easements; committee members and local open‑space sponsors praised the measure and advanced it to Appropriations.
Senator Jerry Cortez (presenting as the bill’s author) told the Natural Resources and Water Committee that SB 462 would create a steady annual $20 million appropriation to the California Farmland Conservancy Program to fund agricultural conservation easements on working farms and ranches.
“While a member of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, I helped chair the Ag Preservation Task Force there to try to protect 12,000 acres just in my own county,” Cortez said, describing local experience protecting farmland around urban cores. Officials from the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority and Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District testified in support, citing steep farmland loss in certain counties and the program’s role in maintaining agricultural production and affordable options for next‑generation farmers.
Mark Landgraf of the Open Space Authority told the committee farmland in Santa Clara County declined by about 45% over the last 20 years and said roughly half of the remaining 27,000 acres are considered at risk of development. Amy Ricard of the Sonoma County agency said permanently conserved farms continue to produce local jobs and contribute to regional food production.
Senator Laird praised the bill and indicated he would move it. The committee voted to recommend the bill as a due‑pass referral to Appropriations; the motion was moved by Senator Laird and recorded on the roll. SB 462 was advanced to Appropriations.
