Conservation Easement #73, known as Gill Orchards, is a 124-acre generational family farming operation planted with nut orchards, situated a half-mile outside of the northeast city limits of Davis. Completing this conservation easement preserves the agriculture buffer between the city limits of Woodland and Davis. Agriculture is the leading industry in Yolo County and agricultural viability along with the small town, rural way of life are important to its residents, according to Yolo County’s Economic Development Division. Given their proximity to the development outline of the City of Davis, this conservation easement signifies the importance the community places on preserving farmland.

To secure funding for this conservation easement, Yolo Land Trust partnered with the City of Davis and the California Department of Conservation’s Sustainable Agriculture Land Conservation (SALC) program. The SALC program’s intention is to protect prime farmland and encourage compact communities. “The SALC Program protects at-risk agricultural lands from sprawl development in order to promote growth within existing jurisdictions, ensure open space remains available, and support a healthy agricultural economy,” explains the California Department of Conservation.

This is the second conservation easement in YLT’s conservation portfolio that has utilized SALC funding. The City of Davis provided the matching funds for the SALC funding.  “Partnering with the SALC program and the City of Davis on this project provided us with the necessary funding to conserve an important farm,” said Michele Clark, Yolo Land Trust Executive Director.  “We are grateful to the owners for their commitment to agricultural conservation.”

At the request of the City of Davis, the owners agreed to reserve a public trail on the easement area for future use. The City of Davis explains the limited public trail will run along the channel and adjacent to the nut orchard north to County Road 29; and that the trail easement requires the City to first acquire legal public access from the City-owned Wildhorse agricultural buffer.

Read more from the City of Davis press release from June 7, 20122 – City Of Davis Permanently Preserves 124 Acres Of Farmland Northeast Of City Limits

Read more from the California Department of Conservation Blog – Demonstrating Climate & Housing Sustainability in Yolo County