… Nearly 1 million acres of farmland across the state are expected to come out of production due to SGMA. Without new uses for that land, agricultural jobs will disappear, local tax revenues will plummet, and our small towns, which are already stretched thin, will be left with few options. A 2023 Public Policy Institute of California report put it bluntly: without action, the economic fallout for the Central Valley could be massive. If we don’t find new ways to keep this land economically viable, our rural communities are going to suffer badly. But legislation currently moving at the state Capitol, Assembly Bill 1156, provides a lifeline by making it easier to repurpose fallowed farmland for clean energy projects like solar panels. It’s a smart, timely solution that protects farmers, supports clean energy, and brings jobs and investment back to rural California.

Other SGMA news:

• The Napa Valley Register: Napa County honing Napa Valley subbasin groundwater fees