2019 Schedule

Perpetuity is a core commitment for land trusts. But in California’s San Joaquin Valley, the conservation values that easements protect are threatened by climate change and water scarcity. Legal mandates to bring groundwater use in line with sustainable supplies are expected to lead to the retirement of hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland. While groundwater regulation has long been needed, and retired farmland presents significant opportunities for habitat restoration, large-scale land retirement is also a challenge for land trusts that have committed to protect farmland in perpetuity. Sequoia Riverlands Trust is both a holder of agricultural conservation easements in the San Joaquin Valley and a participant in the local agencies implementing California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The Nature Conservancy is actively involved in land use and water policy throughout the state, including SGMA implementation. Drawing on this experience, the presenters will explore the challenges posed by climate change, water scarcity and farmland retirement and the options offered by Land Trust Standards and Practices and Land Trust Alliance guidance on amending conservation easements. They will then lead a discussion on how land trusts can ensure perpetual protection of conservation values in changing conditions.