Farmland Preservation Grants

The goal of the Farmland Preservation Grant program is to permanently protect working agricultural lands in Marin. These grants help qualified nonprofit organizations acquire perpetual agricultural conservation easements in voluntary transactions with landowners.

Parks Measure A, passed by voters in 2022, provides funding for Farmland Preservation Grants. Measure A (Marin County Ordinance 3760) allocates 20% of Measure A tax revenue for sustainable agriculture. 50% of that 20% is designated toward supporting conservation easements that permanently protect working farms and ranches in Marin.

Farmland Preservation Grants provide matching funds to qualified organizations to purchase perpetual agricultural conservation easements. A Farmland Preservation Grants shall not exceed 50% of the total easement purchase price and administrative costs.

These grants are subject to the availability of Measure A funds. Grant requests may not exceed available funds in any given year, and are considered on a first come, first served basis. The Measure A sales tax expires in October 2031; Measure A Program funds may be available for a limited amount of time afterward until funds are exhausted.

To apply for a Farmland Preservation grant, an organization must meet all of the following criteria:

• be a non-profit organization under Internal Revenue Code Sections 501(c)(3) and 170(h) 
• have a primary mission of preservation and protection of agricultural land and associated open space with natural resource and scenic value
• have a demonstrated commitment to protecting the conservation values of the property under the proposed easement
• is accredited by the Land Trust Alliance Accreditation Commission and have a demonstrated ability to monitor and enforce a conservation easement in accordance with Land Trust Alliance standards and practices 

In reviewing potential grants, the County of Marin shall consider the project’s consistency with the following plans and policies:

• Marin Countywide Plan
• Marin County Agricultural Land Conservation Program
• Marin County Ordinance 3760 (Measure A)
• Priority Conservation Areas, as described in Plan Bay Area
• Other programs, plans, and policies adopted by public resources or regulatory agencies

All grant applications must include the following.

• Completed Grant Application Checklist
• Completed Grant Application Cover Sheet
• Executive Summary (1 page maximum)
• Project Location Map
• Parcel or easement boundary maps (May be combined with Project Location Map).
• Representative photos of land showing notable features
• Project Budget
• Letter of Intent and Confirmation of Willing Seller (See sample letter.)
• Letters of support from any cooperating or supporting entities (may include individuals, government entities, funders or community organizations)
• Easement acquisition Summary Sheet
• Project Specification (4 page maximum)
• Documentation of Public/Neighboring Landowner Notification
• Preliminary Title Report
• Draft Easement
• Appraisal (and other appraisal related documentation, as applicable, related to all appraisal assignments commissioned or completed during the 24 months preceding the application date)
• Purchase or Option Agreement (if applicable)
• Escrow Instructions (may be provided separately prior to closing)
• Easement Monitoring and Reporting Summary (may be provided separately prior to closing)
• Baseline Conditions Report consistent with Land Trust Alliance standards (may be provided separately prior to closing)

A qualified conservation organization must also include:

• A copy of organization’s IRS 501(c)3 or 170(h) status
• A copy of organization’s Articles of Incorporation

During the application process the County of Marin may request additional information as needed to conduct appropriate due diligence.

Interested applicants may direct all questions about the grant program, including questions regarding the grant application, to Marin County Parks Senior Planner Craig Richardson, at crrichardson@marincounty.org.

The following process applies to qualified conservation organizations interested in applying for a Farmland Preservation Grant.

1. Applicant contacts Marin County Parks open space planning to arrange a meeting to discuss a proposed easement acquisition project.
2. Marin County Parks staff and applicant meet to discuss project proposal. Applicant is provided with application materials and is assigned a staff contact who will guide the applicant through the process.
3. Applicant completes and submits the application.
4. Marin County Parks reviews the application for completeness and content, completes the assessment process, conducts any necessary site visits, and proceeds with compiling other additional information necessary to make a final funding recommendation to the Marin County Board of Supervisors.
5. Marin County Parks informs applicant of its preliminary recommendation. This recommendation is preliminary and will be contingent on Marin County Park’s review of the appraisal and other project documents.
6. Applicant obtains an appraisal, consistent with requirements determined by the County.
7. Marin County Parks reviews, with assistance from the County Department of Public Works, Real Estate Division, all real estate related documents, including, but not limited to appraisal, purchase agreement, and escrow instructions. Applicant must provide documentation of any appraisal assignments related to the subject property and commissioned or completed during the 24 months preceding the application date. Marin County Parks may require a new appraisal if the completion date of the most recent appraisal on file is over one year from the execution date of the purchase agreement.
8. Marin County Parks prepares a grant agreement and final recommendation to the Marin County Board of Supervisors.
9. Marin County Parks schedules matter for consideration at a meeting of the Marin County Board of Supervisors.
10. Execution of the agreement by Board president on behalf of County, shall not be more than one (1) year from the date of the appraisal. Escrow shall close within 90 days of the execution of the agreement, unless otherwise agreed upon by the County.
11. Grantee submits an Easement Monitoring and Reporting Plan and a baseline conditions report. Marin County Parks reviews and approves both the plan and report.
12. Marin County Parks will disburse matching funds directly into an escrow account established for the acquisition.

A Farmland Preservation Grant for the acquisition of an agricultural easement is subject to all of the following requirements. Compliance with all of the requirements listed below is necessary to receive Measure A Program funding.

1. The purchase price of any interest in land funded by a Farmland Preservation Grant may not exceed fair market value as established by an appraisal prepared by an MAI (Member, Appraisal Institute) appraiser, and reviewed and approved by the Marin County Department of Public Works – Real Estate Section.
2. Easements and other real property interests shall be acquired only from willing sellers.
3. Easements shall include, if appropriate, provisions limiting uses and practices that may degrade water quality, soil and bank stability, and riparian vegetation with regard to a creek or stream on the property.
4. When additional real property interests are purchased to further restrict the use of lands encumbered by an easement those interests may limit uses and practices that could degrade water quality, soil and bank stability, and riparian vegetation with regard to a creek or stream on the property.
5. Easements shall include a provision specifying continued productive agricultural uses on the property. This provision shall also be required, where appropriate, when additional real property interests are being purchased to further restrict the use of lands encumbered by an easement that predates the effective date of an agricultural easement funded by a Farmland Preservation Grant.
6. Easements held by an entity other than the County of Marin shall name the County of Marin, the Marin County Open Space District, or a public entity approved by the County of Marin as a back-up owner in the event the original owner ceases to exist, ceases to be a qualified organization under Section 170(h) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, or ceases to be authorized to hold conservation easements under California law.
7. The Marin County Board of Supervisors shall empower the Director of the Marin County Open Space District to approve any form of easements acquired by an entity other than the County. The Agricultural Conservation Easement template adopted by the County Board of Supervisors on May 12, 2009 shall serve as a model for an appropriate easement, and may be modified as necessary. The final easement terms and conditions are subject to input, review, and approval by Marin County Parks and the Board of Supervisors.
8. The holder of easements and other real property interests funded by a Farmland Preservation Grant shall monitor and enforce the easements and other real property interests in accordance with the Land Trust Alliance Land Standards and Practices, and as such standards and practices may be amended from time to time.
9. Grantee is responsible for complying with all County of Marin appraisal requirements.
10. Farmland Preservation Grant funds must be matched at a minimum ratio of 1:1. In-kind donations do not qualify for matching purposes.
11. The applicant and the Marin County Board of Supervisors must enter into a grant agreement before the County of Marin disburses funding from the Farmland Preservation Grant program.
12. Applicant or the proposed easement holder must complete a baseline conditions report prior to close of escrow. See Item 4 of the County of Marin Agricultural Conservation Easement template for details on the content of this baseline conditions report.
13. Prior to close of escrow, the easement holder shall develop and submit to Marin County Parks a baseline report and an Easement Monitoring and Reporting Plan that, at minimum, describes annual monitoring and reporting protocol.
14. The use of public funds to acquire an agricultural conservation easement is a project under the California Environmental Quality Act and is subject to the requirements of Division 13 of the California Public Resources Code. California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 15317 provides for a categorical exclusion for open space contracts or easements, including the establishment of agricultural preserves.
15. The applicant must meet the requirements of a qualified applicant under item VII of the Marin County Agricultural Lands Conservation Program: Procedures and Requirements.
16. The applicant must confirm property proposed for a conservation easement is zoned for agricultural use, and its preservation is consistent with the Marin Countywide Plan.

Yes. Before the County can approve an application for funds under the Farmland Preservation Grant program, the applicant must demonstrate that the project complies with the requirements of CEQA.

The use of public funds to acquire an agricultural conservation easement is a project under the California Environmental Quality Act and is subject to the requirements of Division 13 of the California Public Resources Code. California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 15317 provides for a categorical exclusion for open space contracts or easements, including the establishment of agricultural preserves.

Grant applications are accepted by email. Marin County Parks will acknowledge receipt of all applications.

• When e-mailing your application, please submit all documents in pdf format
• When e-mailing, address your application to your assigned staff contact

Grant applications are accepted at any time.

Marin County Parks planning staff work closely with qualifying organizations throughout the application process, and after the funding is awarded. After a qualifying organization meets initial criteria for consideration, a staff member is assigned as the County liaison.