At the end of February, the California Rangeland Trust joined fellow members of the Partnership of Rangeland Trusts (PORT) in Washington, D.C. to meet with members of Congress and federal agency leaders about policies that help keep working lands intact.
PORT is a national alliance of land trusts dedicated to conserving America’s ranchlands through voluntary conservation easements. Together, PORT members have helped more than 2,000 ranching families protect over 3.2 million acres of rangeland and farmland, ensuring these landscapes remain in agricultural production while supporting wildlife habitat, open space, and rural communities.
During meetings on Capitol Hill, the group focused on priorities within the conservation title of the Farm Bill, which supports programs that help farmers and ranchers protect their land while continuing to produce food and steward natural resources. In particular, the delegation highlighted the importance of the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – Agricultural Land Easements (ACEP-ALE), which has helped conserve working lands across the country.
The group also discussed policy solutions that could expand access to conservation beyond the Farm Bill. One idea gaining attention is allowing federal conservation tax credits to be transferable. Transferable credits would enable landowners who cannot fully use the credit themselves to sell it, helping level the playing field and making conservation tools available to more farmers and ranchers. The concept is modeled after successful programs in states like Colorado and Virginia and reflects the kind of innovative policy thinking the Rangeland Trust is helping to advance.
Efforts like these are becoming increasingly important. The United States is losing roughly 5,000 acres of farm and ranch land every day. At its core, this work is about keeping working lands working—and ensuring these landscapes endure for generations to come.
California Rangeland Trust is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax identification number 31-1631453) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
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