SALINAS VALLEY — California Strategic Growth Council has approved more than $8.3 million in grants to the Ag Land Trust (ALT), a nonprofit dedicated to farmland preservation along the state’s Central Coast.
The funding will enable the organization to purchase conservation easements on three key properties, safeguarding nearly 1,000 acres of vital Salinas Valley farmland and open space.
On Oct. 8, the council approved grants that will support the preservation of the Storm, Pisoni-Pura and Rainbow/Culver Ranches — farms located just outside the cities of Salinas, Gonzales and King City. The ranches will remain in productive agricultural use in perpetuity by their owners, ensuring the land stays dedicated to farming for future generations.
Founded in 1984 in Salinas, the Ag Land Trust has a long history of protecting the region’s prime farmland. As a nonprofit organization, ALT has helped preserve more than 50,000 acres across Monterey, San Luis Obispo, San Benito and San Mateo counties.
The organization works closely with local landowners who are dedicated to limiting urban sprawl, reducing air pollution and alleviating traffic congestion while maintaining the agricultural heritage of the Central Coast.
The grants from the Strategic Growth Council are part of a broader effort to support farmland conservation organizations that promote sustainable development and environmental health.
“ALT works cooperatively with local farmers and landowners whose families are committed to these principles,” stated Ag Land Trust in a press release. “ALT works with those farmers to protect their estates for their families and to preserve agriculture on the Central Coast for generations to come.”
For more information about Ag Land Trust and its efforts, visit aglandtrust.org.
