Nevada County Resource Conservation District (NCRCD) and the County of Nevada have come together to secure a historic $500,000, 3-year planning grant through the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Program. The grant will fund a comprehensive Agricultural and Working Landscape Conservation Plan. 

The goal for Nevada County is to create a comprehensive Agricultural and Working Landscape Conservation Plan, which will focus on identifying areas for conservation planning and related programs in collaboration with Bear Yuba Land Trust, Sierra Harvest, and the Nevada County Farm Bureau. The last plan of this caliber was enacted in 1995.  

NCRCD Executive Director Briana Bacon says, "This plan will provide the framework, collaboration, and policies necessary to ensure that conserving agricultural lands is essential in addressing climate change and food security. It will also ensure that the farming and ranching lifestyle will be sustainable, equitable, and preserved for the community for many more generations." 

Agriculture has always been an integral part of Nevada County, but the last 28 years have been a time of considerable change. Land prices have escalated rapidly and the pressure to subdivide large tracts of historical farmland has increased dramatically. Additionally, a significant portion of large-scale ranches and homesteads are owned by a select number of families, many of whom don't have children to pass their legacy down to, and those that do have someone to take the helm, are questioning the economic return on investment, given the drastic increase in the cost of living and the challenge to provide a viable lifestyle for themselves and the community.