California Women for Agriculture believes farmers, ranchers and producers are
involved in a business that requires the right to manage and control that business. However, we recognize the importance of
agriculturally sensitive land use planning. Land Use policies and laws should be fair, logical, and legally supportable; they
should encourage consistent utilization of resources dependent on the suitability of the land. Because of the diverse options
concerning land use, California Women for Agriculture proposes careful consideration of the following:
1. Participation of agriculturists in the planning needed to guide development
of growing communities, with attention to the economic, as well as, the environmental implications.
2. Balanced utilization and conservation of land resources, taking into account
the social and economic needs of the people of the area, and of the state, nation and world.
3. Local establishment of stable or permanent urban-rural boundaries, higher
density development, and redevelopment efforts to prevent encroachment of urban uses into economically productive farmland.
4. Maintain planning at the local level so that local zoning supports the right
to farm and the continuation and implementation of the Williamson Act.
5. Utilization of all presently owned public lands and non-agricultural zoned
lands before more such lands can be acquired or rezoned by public entities for development.
6. Active management of public lands to enhance wildlife habitat; provide a
stable supply of timber for Californians; address forest health decline and post-wildfire restoration-related activities;
and ensure ample recreational opportunities, among other benefits.
7. Protection and preservation of family-owned farms and agribusiness operations.
8. State guidelines for land use incentives to continue agricultural production.
9. The elimination of inheritance and estate taxes to assure that enough prime
farmland remains in production to protect our domestically grown food supply.
10. When agricultural land is converted to development, mitigation for the
loss of productive agricultural land should be required at a ratio of no less than 1:1. We support the use of agricultural
conservation easements on a voluntary basis.
11. Land retirement should only be
implemented when the landowner voluntarily enters into a contract to remove his/her land from production and when it is of
benefit to the needs of the people of the surrounding area and the state. Farmland should not be retired if such action will
have a detrimental effect on the viability of sustainable agriculture in the surrounding area.
