California Farmland Conservancy Program is a grant from the California Department of Conservation that funds local efforts to establish agricultural conservation easements and land improvement projects statewide.

Created by the California Farmland Conservancy Program Act of 1995, the program supports voluntary, long-term private stewardship of agricultural lands, protects farming operations from nonfarm uses, and encourages sustainable land use planning. Funded by Proposition 68 (2018), the program accepts pre-proposals and applications on a rolling basis under the 2025 solicitation. Grant amounts vary.

Eligible applicants include local land trusts, agencies, and conservation organizations seeking to preserve California's agricultural heritage for future generations.

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style = null; Department of Conservation Compliance & Risk Management Funding, Grants & Easements Government & Partner Agencies DLRP: Land Resource Protection CalGEM: Oil, Gas & Geothermal State Mining & Geology Board All Maps & Data Resources California Farmland Conservancy California Farmland Conservancy Program Th e California Farmland Conservancy Program (CFCP) is a statewide grant program that supports local efforts to establish agricultural conservation easements and land improvement projects for the purpose of preserving important agricultural land resources and enhancing sustainable agricultural uses.

​ ​​ ​ ​ June 4, 2025 - The Department of Conservation is pleased to announce the release of the 2025 California Farmland Conservancy Program (CFCP) Solicitation. ​​​ Pre-proposals and applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

​​ ​​ 2025 CFCP Solicitation (PDF )​ The CFCP was created by the California Farmland Conservancy Program Act of 1995 to : Encourage voluntary, long-term private stewardship of agricultural lands Protect farming and ranching operations in agricultural areas from nonfarm or nonranch land uses that may hinder or curtail such operations Encourage long-term conservation of productive agricultural lands in order to protect the agricultural economy of rural communities, as well as that of the state, for future generations of Californians Encourage local land use planning for orderly and efficient urban growth and conservation of agricultural land Encourage local land use planning decisions that are consistent with the state's agricultural land conservation policies Encourage improvements to enhance long-term sustainable agricultural uses​ This program is currently funded by the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2018 (Proposition 68).

Agricultural Conservation Easements : Grants to protect agricultural lands under threat of conversion to nonagricultural uses through the acquisition of voluntary, permanent agricultural conservation easements.

Land Improvement Grants: Grants for the improvement of lands protected by a conservation easement or similar long-term conservation agreement as determined by the Department’s Director if the improvement will directly benefit the protected land. ​ T ax-exempt nonprofit organizations qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and qualified to do business in this state.

Eligible non-profits must have as their primary pur pose the preservation, protection, or enhancement of land in its natural, scenic, historical, agricultural, forested, or open-space condition or use (“Primary Purpose").

The state or any city, county, city and county, district, or other state or local governmental entity, if otherwise authorized to acquire and hold title to real property and if the conservation easement is voluntarily conveyed.

​ A federally recognized California Native American tribe or a nonfederally recognized California Native American tribe that is on the contact list maintained by the Native American Heritage Commission to protect a California Native American prehistoric, archaeological, cultural, spiritual, or ceremonial place, if the conservation easement is voluntarily conveyed.

​​​​​​ ​​Appendix B: Easement Preproposal​​ (Word) ​ ​​Applicant-Landowner Letter of Intent (Word)​ ​ Associated Costs Budget Table (Excel) ​ ​ ​ A ppendix C: Land Improvements Preproposal ​ (Word)​​​​​​​ ​ Appendix D: Easement Grant Application (Word) Applicant Resolution of Support Template (Word) ​ Sample ​​Letter to Planning Director (Word) ​ Appendix E: Land Improvements Grant Application (Word) Land Improvements Budget Detail (Excel) Land Improvements Work Plan (Excel) Applicant Resolution of Support Template (Word) ​ ​Appendix F: Easement-Land Improvements Grant Agreement Template ​ ​ (PDF)​ ​Program Resources ​​​​ ​ Grant Management Documents 2023 CF​​CP Awarded Projects ​ Want to get CFCP updates delivered to your inbox?

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