UCCE plays role as county grapples with cuts

University of California Cooperative Extension will be at the table with the Tulare County farm bureau, farmers, county supervisors and others as the Tulare County Resource Management Agency looks for ways to preserve farmland without the Williamson Act, according to an article in the Porterville Recorder.

The story said 6,611 Williamson Act contracts are in place in Tulare County, affecting 35 percent of county land.

Because of the difficult budget times, the state cut funding for the Williamson Act, which provided tax benefits to farmers who agreed to keep their land in agriculture for set periods of time.

RMA is holding a stakeholder meeting Aug. 19 to establish direction for county supervisors in the absence of Williamson Act funding. Attendance is expected from groups like the Tulare County Farm Bureau and the University of California Cooperative Extension—Tulare County, the article said.

I'll be out on vacation a few days, but next Tuesday will bring the ANR News Blog up to date.

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