Funding Opportunities Available to Assist with Private Land Conservation
Your local land trust, the Mother Lode Land Trust recently received a grant to provide outreach and education to landowners in our service area who are interested in the financial benefits of conserving their land. Farmers and Ranchers and those who purchase land for protection are the true conservationists. As you drive our rural roads, it is those people we should think of to thank for preserving our rural character. It’s about time that funding has been made available to incentivize these conservationists for the work they already do.
For the past several years, the Mother Lode Land Trust (MLLT), has been securing funding to purchase conservation easements on private land. A conservation easement is a voluntary yet legally binding agreement between the Land Trust and the Landowner that typically restricts subdivision and development or other uses that could affect the agricultural viability and/or natural resources of a property, in perpetuity. Landowners can donate these development rights for certain tax incentives, or they can sell their development rights to MLLT. The value of a conservation easement can be around 40-60% of the fair market value of the property. MLLT also purchases and/or accepts donations of title to land for public access, wildlife preservation, watershed health, and outdoor education.
Probably the greatest benefit to working with MLLT is the assurance that your legacy will be conserved in perpetuity. You can still sell your property or pass it on to your heirs, but the conservation easement remains forever, guiding how your property is managed long after ownership has changed.
There are currently several State and Federal grant programs to help MLLT fund the purchase of a conservation easement. Between State Cap and Trade revenues and bond sales and theFederal Farm Bill there are millions of dollars available for conservation. MLLT is hosting several community workshops in our region, the first of which will be on September 27 th at the Jamestown Community Hall at 6pm. Visit our website to learn more about our workshops or give us a call. We’d love to hear from you. www.motherlodelandtrust.org or (209) 304-8804
If you are interested in learning more about our programs and how we can work together, or if you just want to learn more about MLLT and how you can become a partner in conservation, please consider joining us for this event. Our goals are twofold: Generate a list of interested landowners so we can have projects ready when funding opens up; and gather input from the community about what’s important for you to see protected.
This landowner outreach is funded by a grant from the Strategic Growth Council’s Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) program. SALC is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities.This capacity-building grant enables MLLT to develop and prepare for conservation projects at the pace and scale required to meet the State’s goal of conserving 30% of California’s land by 2030.
The Mother Lode Land Trust (MLLT) was established in 1990 by a coalition of ranchers, conservationists, and other concerned citizens to help protect foothill lands from the pressures of urbanization and development. MLLT serves Tuolumne County as well as Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, and El Dorado Counties. MLLT holds conservation easements totaling just over 11,000 acres, and owns 6 preserves totaling 1,300 acres, including the Bennett Juniper Tree near Eagle Meadow, and Long Gulch Ranch near Groveland. MLLT's mission is to protect the agricultural and natural landscapes and historic character of the Mother Lode and Central Sierraregion for the benefit of present and future generations. For more information, visit https://motherlodelandtrust.org/ or follow MLLT on Facebook.