Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program - Agricultural Conservation Acquisition Grant

Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program - Agricultural Conservation Acquisition Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: California Department of Conservation
Last Updated: December 22, 2025

Summary

The Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALC) aims to protect California's agricultural lands from conversion to GHG-intensive uses while supporting climate goals. Through strategic investments, SALC enhances food security and promotes resilient agricultural systems. This program is part of California Climate Investments, which funds initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and benefit disadvantaged communities. Grants are available for agricultural conservation acquisitions, planning, and capacity funding to ensure the preservation of vital agricultural resources.

Overview

NOTE: Acquisition Phase 1 Pre-proposal: Rolling submittals Acquisition Phase 2 Pre-proposals due: December 1, 2025 (submittal contingent on Phase One approval) Planning Pre-proposals due: January 15, 2026 Acquisition Applications due: January 15, 2026 (submittal contingent on Phase Two approval) Project Awards: April 2026 Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program Introduction and Summary The Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALC), a component of the Strategic Growth Council’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Program, supports California’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals by making strategic investments to protect agricultural lands from conversion to more GHG-intensive uses. It also contributes to implementation of Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-82-20, which calls for the accelerated use of nature-based solutions to address the climate and biodiversity crises. Protecting critical agricultural lands from conversion to urban or rural residential development promotes smart growth within existing jurisdictions, ensures open space remains available, and supports healthy agricultural and tribal food systems, and resulting food security. Healthy and resilient food systems are becoming increasingly important in meeting the challenges occurring and anticipated as a result of climate change. SALC is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Invest, formerly known as Cap-and-Invest, dollars to work reducing GHG emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment– particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and-Invest program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California. Program Components These Guidelines cover the following investment types: Agricultural Conservation Acquisition Capacity Funding – Grants to develop agricultural conservation easement and fee acquisition projects and/or cover associated costs to help close acquisition projects where the cost of the acquisition is covered by an alternate source of funding.Agricultural Conservation Acquisitions – Grants to protect important agricultural lands under threat of conversion to nonagricultural uses through the acquisition of voluntary, permanent agricultural conservation easements (easements) or fee title purchases.Agricultural Conservation Planning – Grants to develop and implement plans for the protection of agricultural lands under pressure of being converted to non-agricultural uses. For the purposes of this program, agricultural land includes both cultivated and non-cultivated lands that support an agricultural use, and includes gathering and activities that promote healthy trees, shrubs, and perennial forbs for the cultivation of traditional foods, herbal medicine, fibers (such as basketry material), and dyes so long as such activities are led by or conducted in partnership with a Federally recognized or non-Federally recognized California Native American tribe on the contact list maintained by the Native American Heritage Commission.

Eligibility

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