TY - JOUR AU - Sokolow, Alvin TI - North Bay leads Central Valley in protecting farmland JF - California Agriculture JO - Calif Agr Y1 - 1998/05/01 VL - 52 IS - 3 SP - 17 EP - 22 PB - University of California Agriculture and Nature Resources SN - 0008-0845 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.3733/ca.v052n03p17 L3 - 10.3733/ca.v052n03p17 AB - In a comparison of four counties in the San Francisco North Bay area with seven Central Valley counties, researchers found that the coastal jurisdictions are more aggressive in limiting the conversion of farmland to urban uses and preserving open space. The North Bay counties make more use of innovative programs — primarily the acquisition of conservation easements on farmland by nonprofit land trusts and local governments, but also the adoption of growth boundaries. Local political variations account for much of these regional policy differences. Especially notable is the greater mobilization of conservation coalitions, including the more extensive use of the ballot box to protect open space, in the North Bay than in the Central Valley.