Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALC)

The Department of Conservation works in cooperation with the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) and the Strategic Growth Council (SGC) to implement the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALC). SALC 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.

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Announcements

SALC Round 10 Final Easement Template

November 10, 2025: The Department of Conservation (DOC) is pleased to announce the release of the Round 10 FinalEasement Template.

Download the SALC Round 10 Final Easement Template

SALC Round 11a: Key Dates, Final Forms, & Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)

SALC Guidelines and Documents

The SALC Program is now accepting pre-proposals for conservation easement and fee title acquisitions on a rolling basis. The two-phased pre-proposal and semi-annual conservation acquisition application process begins with Round 11. Final pre-proposal and application materials can be found below. There are no changes proposed to the Planning grants program for Round 11. The Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for Round 11 is now available and is attached below.

Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)

Important Dates:

Dates for Round 11, Cycle A:

Acquisition Phase 1 Pre-proposals: Rolling submittals
Acquisition Phase 2 Pre-proposals due: December 1, 2025 (submittal contingent on Phase 1 approval)
Planning Pre-proposals due: January 15, 2026
Acquisition Applications due: January 15, 2026 (submittal contingent on Phase 2 approval)
Project Awards: April 2026

Dates for Round 11, Cycle B:

Acquisition Phase 1 Pre-proposals: Rolling submittals
Acquisition Phase 2 Pre-proposals due: May 14, 2026 (submittal contingent on Phase 1 approval)
Planning Applications due: June 17, 2026
Acquisition Applications due: June 17, 2026 (submittal contingent on Phase 2 approval)
Project Awards: October 2026

Final Pre-Proposal and Application Materials

SALC Technical Amendments to Guidelines

SALC Guidelines and Grant Agreements

August 27, 2025: The Strategic Growth Council approved a second technical amendment to the Round 10 SALC Guidelines, incorporating requirements from the most recent updates to the California Climate Investments (CCI) Guidelines and additional revisions. CCI requires that all programs receiving cap-and-invest (previously know as cap-and-trade) funds follow the Funding Guidelines for Agencies that Administer CCI Funding Guidelines. Please refer to the 08/27/2025 SGC Meeting Materials, re-posted here for reference, for full details.

December 17, 2024: The Strategic Growth Council approved a technical amendment to the Round 9 and Round 10 SALC Guidelines creating an allowance for the reimbursement of appraisal costs where they may currently be ineligible for reimbursement in instances where the grantee is a tribe or an organization whose purpose is to serve priority populations and/or socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers and the project would benefit one of these groups.

Technical Assistance for Capacity and Acquisition grant is available through Contract TA Provider, Helianth Partners!

SALC Technical Assistance Provider, Helianth Partners, has compiled a library of resources to support self-directed education and capacity-building related to SALC funding, agricultural land conservation, and increasing equity in conservation practices. Helianth Partners is available to assist in the development of SALC pre-proposal applications until the end of December 2025.

Helianth Partners

Resources include:

Guidance on SALC organizational readiness, project eligibility, preparing for applications, and complementing SALC funds with other grant programs.
Recorded training sessions offered in 2024 to share opportunities related to increasing equity in conservation projects and applying for SALC funding.
Third-party resources, including tools, sample policies, and guidebooks covering a range of topics including working with underserved communities and Tribes, developing organization strategies to support equity in land conservation, and SALC-related templates and tools.

Funding

The Program invests in agricultural land conservation with revenue from the California Climate Investments (CCI) Fund, made available for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions while providing additional benefits to California communities. CCI is derived from quarterly cap-and-trade auction proceeds, which are administered by the California Air Resources Board.

The California Strategic Growth Council’s (SGC) SALC Program is a component of SGC’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program (AHSC). SALC complements investments made in urban areas with the purchase of agricultural conservation easements, development of agricultural land strategy plans, and other mechanisms that result in GHG reductions and a more resilient agricultural sector. Please see the SGC website for more information about the AHSC Program.

Key Resources

About California Climate Investments

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. For more information, visit California Climate Investments.

California Climate investments logo

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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALC)

​​Announcements​

​Key Resources

​About California Climate Investments

Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALC)

Announcements

Key Resources

About California Climate Investments