RELATED LINKS
- California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
- National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA)
- California Land Conservation (Williamson) Act
OTHER RESOURCES
Steve Shaffer, Director
1220 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
ph: (916) 657-4956
fax: (916) 657-5017
QUICK LINKS
Agricultural Resources
The demands of California's rapidly growing urban population places a heavy burden on the State's premiere agricultural resources, particularly land and water. It is an important role of the Office to protect these resources so that future generations of Californians can continue to enjoy the unprecedented abundance, variety and quality of safe and nutritious food produced by California's ranchers and farmers.
One way that the Office accomplishes this is by reviewing and providing advice to public agencies on the impacts of the projects they approve on agricultural productivity. Our advice encourages decisions based on complete and accurate information that seek to minimize, avoid or mitigate impacts on critical agricultural resources. The Office provides advice through:
The review of environmental documents prepared pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the federal equivalent for projects subject to federal agency approval is NEPA, or the National Environmental Protection Act. Both of these laws require that agencies not only document the potential environmental impacts of projects, but consider project alternatives and mitigation measures that will avoid, eliminate, reduce or compensate for the impacts.
One of the environmental impacts that must be evaluated and mitigated is the conversion or impairment of agricultural land and water resources. The Office also reviews public agency actions on California Land Conservation (Williamson) Act lands.
The Office also reviews, and provides input on, other public actions that could jeopardize agricultural resources in California.
Finally, the Office advises the Secretary of Food and Agriculture on proposed laws and regulations that affect agricultural land and water conservation, including the review of bills under consideration by the California Legislature and U.S. Congress.