Marin Agricultural Land Trust: A Brief Overview
MALT organizes its work around the goals of preserving agriculture, protecting biodiversity, and building climate resilience.
One important tool for accomplishing these objectives is the use of agricultural conservation easements.
A legal agreement between MALT and a landowner, the easement preserves the landowner’ right to own and manage the land. It prohibits the owner from using the land for residential or commercial development. The easement is perpetual, becoming part of the title and remaining in effect regardless of change in ownership.
By restricting certain uses on a property, the easement lowers the value of the land. MALT compensates the landowner for this loss by purchasing the easement.
How Does MALT Help Landowners Support Biodiversity?
The Stewardship Assistance Program is intended for landowners with a MALT easement. They are eligible for grants of up to $20,000 to help them implement conservation practices that protect soil and water quality as well as bolster agricultural utility.
The Small Grants Program also funds projects consistent with the primary goals of MALT. These grants are available for ALL Marin County agriculturalists, not just those with a MALT conservation easement.
Removing Invasive Plants:
One Way MALT Can Help Farmers and Ranchers
Range livestock grazing is West Marin’s most extensive agricultural land use. A wide variety of grasses comprise the favored diet of cattle, sheep, and goats. Most rangeland and pasture grasses were introduced to California from Europe, but a few commonly used rangeland grasses are native. MALT’s Stewardship Assistance Program helps ranchers identify invasive grasses and replace them with native or otherwise beneficial species.
Non-native weeds and grasses can play a detrimental role in the land’s ability to support wildlife as well as ranch animals. Milk thistles are one example. These invasive weeds are widespread throughout California. They are tough and can withstand drought conditions. When an invasive plant like the milk thistle takes over, it can create a monoculture that prevents the growth of native and other beneficial plants.
At Hicks Canyon Ranch, MALT helped landowner Sam Cohen remove a large quantity of milk thistle from his fields. As described by MALT’s Matt Dolkas, the work of removing invasive weeds required intensive effort:
“As our group made their way through the thick patches of thistle, Sam made the rounds to be sure we were careful to extract the entire plant, head, leaves, stalk, roots and all. Even small traces of the roots could give the plant a foothold and a chance at survival. To win this fight, we learned, we had to be as tenacious as the weeds themselves.”