Sutter Buttes Regional Land Trust says 952 acres of farmland permanently protected

Robert Summa, Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif.
Updated ·3 min read

Feb. 28—The Sutter Buttes Regional Land Trust finalized a conservation easement last month that will permanently protect 952 acres in Yuba County, officials said Wednesday.

On Jan. 18, the trust finalized a conservation easement on the Magnolia Ranch property, which will now protect a rice farm from any future development.

"In 2019 the landowners initiated a partnership with Sutter Buttes Regional Land Trust, to begin the process of placing a conservation easement over the ranch, permanently protecting the land from development," officials said. "The easement was funded by the California Strategic Growth Council's Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALC) in collaboration with the Department of Conservation."

According to the California Department of Conservation, the SALC Program supports agricultural land conservation, economic growth, and sustainable development by providing grants for three types of projects: — Land Use Planning grants that support the development of local and regional land use policies and economic development strategies to protect critical agricultural land. — Agricultural Conservation Acquisition grants to permanently protect croplands, rangelands, and lands utilized for the cultivation of traditional resources from conversion to non-agricultural uses. — Capacity and Project Development grants to expand organizational capacity to develop agricultural conservation acquisition projects.

"SALC is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment — particularly in disadvantaged communities," the department said.

Officials said additional funding for the easement came from the Department of Defense (DoD) Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program, which provides funding for land conservation or management activities that limit development in the vicinity of DoD installations and seek to improve military installation resilience.

In August 2023, the Sutter Buttes Regional Land Trust was able to permanently preserve over 800 acres of farmland, known as the Dana Farms Conservation Easement. Much like the most recent easement, the preservation is meant to help preserve the agricultural landscape of the community and create a buffer of open space between development plots, officials previously said.

According to the Sutter Buttes Regional Land Trust, the Magnolia Ranch property is part of a larger rural region with a history of farming, ranching, and an established military community.

"Our family has completed several conservation easements since the early 2000s," Al Montna, with Magnolia Ranch, said in a statement. "Along with our other owners, we are very excited to complete this conservation easement on Magnolia Ranch which will serve as a foundation and cornerstone in Yuba County for future conservation easements to protect productive farmland and provide a buffer for Beale Air Force Base. The location of this property makes it a perfect fit for long-term conservation for future generations. We greatly appreciate the work of SBRLT, SALC, DOC and DoD, to complete this easement."

Officials with the trust said the Magnolia Ranch Agricultural Conservation Easements will "protect and preserve prime and unique agricultural land, winter waterfowl habitat, viewshed, and open space," as well as create a needed buffer of open space around Beale Air Force Base.

"Conservation of the Magnolia Ranch property removes potentially incompatible uses and conflicts that could impact the Mission Sustainment Program while also providing significant benefits to the military installation," officials said. "The installation's training and operational T-38, KC-135, and U2 missions rely heavily on the runway and is a refueling location for DoD aircraft on cross-country flights. As the region continues to grow, easements like Magnolia Ranch will be imperative to the future resiliency of the base."

According to the Sutter Buttes Regional Land Trust, this easement agreement "permanently extinguishes development rights while allowing the landowners to continue to farm the land in partnership with the Land Trust."