The San Joaquin Valley Project Prioritization Tool - Used to Inform Farmland Protection

The San Joaquin Valley Project Prioritization Tool (PPT) was used to identify and protect a long-time family-owned farm located in Merced County. Protecting this ranch with a conservation easement means that 1,100 acres of farmland in a rapidly developing region will be preserved. Video overview of Lost Wagon Wheel Ranch. American Farmland Trust article on Lost Wagon Wheel Ranch.

The PPT was envisioned by American Farmland Trust as a means to inform and support land use decision-making in the San Joaquin Valley, one of the key focuses is on groundwater recharge and protecting what Prime Farmland is left, from development.

The Project Prioritization Tool (PPT) is a conservation decision-making tool to increase the adoption of water infiltration practices, improve groundwater recharge, and protect agricultural land in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV). This PPT manual was developed by AFT and the Conservation Biology Institute (CBI) based on the data analysis of the San Joaquin Land and Water Strategy report.