Protecting open space by preserving working landscapes
by Denice Dade

The second in a series of articles addressing the loss of rural land. "Our Endangered Farmlands" appeared in Green Footnotes, Summer 2001.

Across America, we face a disturbing trend, the loss of working landscapes - our farmland, ranchland, and forestland - to development. Working landscapes preserve a sense of open space while providing important economic and environmental benefits.

Expansion of the nation's urban fringe
Over the past four decades, our nation experienced rapid expansion of urban and suburban areas. Much of this unplanned growth left rural lands fragmented, less productive, and in conflict with surrounding urban uses. In the last 40 years, urban areas more than doubled, growing from 25.5 million acres in 1960 to 55.9 million acres in 1990; they were to reach 65 million in 2000.

As urban areas expand, farmers have more incentive to sell to developers. The economics are simple - urban use generates a higher return per acre than agricultural uses.

Once agricultural land conversion starts, a vicious cycle begins. Land speculators purchase large lots on the urban fringe and either lobby elected officials or run for election in order to weaken land use regulations and accelerate farmland development. Once development regulations are weakened, land values soar. Developers purchase large lots, subdivide, and build, and the urban fringe expands.

As the urban fringe approaches, farming becomes more costly and less viable. When land speculation begins, land prices rise, and taxes on farmland increase. Economies of scale are lost because processing plants, supply centers, and agricultural support services leave the area for lower-cost locations. These additional costs get passed on to farmers, who must generate higher returns to offset increasing costs. Conflicts between farmers and suburbanites occur over farm odors, early morning noise, pesticide application, and slow equipment moving along rural roads. Farmers also face increased pressure from water and land use restrictions.

Santa Clara County farmland - It's worth saving
Reduced to only 23,000 acres from a peak of 123,000 acres in 1949, farmland is the most threatened working landscape in Santa Clara County. Less impacted by development, 320,000 acres of ranchlands - over a third of the county's 800,000 acres - remain. In spite of this loss, farmlands and ranchlands grossed $300 million last year, according to the 2000 Santa Clara County Agricultural Crop Report.

How we lost our County farmland
In Santa Clara County, massive land speculation started in the late 1950's. San Jose, led by City Manager Dutch Hammond, annexed vast expanses of rich agricultural land, extending its boundaries like tentacles squeezing against neighboring cities. Hammond was once quoted as saying he wanted to make San Jose the Los Angeles of the north. Today, San Jose has 918,800 people, compared to San Francisco's 801,377; yet San Jose covers roughly four times the land mass of San Francisco.

Threats to County farmland
As a result of San Jose's land grab, more than 3,100 acres of rich agricultural land in Coyote Valley - more than 10 miles from downtown San Jose - are threatened by development. In addition, Gilroy plans to expand its urban boundary, threatening to annex 664 acres of prime farmland.

In areas where growth controls do not exist, freeway expansion and infrastructure improvements spur growth and carve into farmlands. Plans to widen the Highway 101 corridor between San Jose and Morgan Hill and a proposed freeway linking Highway 101 and Highway 156, will accelerate the growth of the urban fringe to the south and east beyond Hollister.

How can we protect farmland?
Important methods for protecting farmland include urban growth boundaries, acquisition, conservation easements, and community support.

Urban growth boundaries that keep farmlands permanently outside the growth boundary control sprawl, while encouraging compact, urban development. Effective UGBs draw tight lines around urban areas. Unfortunately, many UGBs in Santa Clara County are too large, and allow farmland lying inside the boundaries to be developed.

Acquisition is the most effective way to protect agricultural land. The City of Livermore taxes development in its urban core and uses the revenue to acquire farmlands. The City of Davis set up a mitigation bank requiring an acre of farmland to be preserved for every acre developed, and it is now considering changing it to a two-to-one ratio. Such programs - and purchases by land trusts - protect farmland from development.

Conservation easements allow farmers to continue to own and work their farms and gain from the sale of development rights to conservation organizations. Peninsula Open Space Trust, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, and Santa Clara County Open Space Authority have purchased conservation easements on thousands of acres of farmland, permanently protecting it from development.

Community support of local farmers, by buying their produce, ensures their economic survival and helps preserve local farms. Regional farmers' markets, where local farmers can sell their produce directly to the public, are one way communities can provide this economic support.

In conclusion
The working landscape that sustains us lies in the path of urban expansion. When urban areas expand, we lose open space, wildlife habitat, scenic country roads, and local sustainable agriculture. Yet we have the means to protect our working landscape by controlling growth, acquiring lands and revitalizing local agriculture.