A five-year pilot habitat restoration project in California may become the model for new land retirement programs.
As part of a land-retirement program, state and federal agencies are buying 8,000 acres in Kings and Tulare counties and replacing the water-intensive alfalfa and cotton crops with native wildflowers and shrubs. The program is part of a five-year pilot project to test habitat-restorationmethods. If it is successful, it will serve as a template for larger land-retirement programs. Critics of the program worry about a drop in property-tax revenue, job losses and a dwindling population as former farmers leave the area.
Thanks to California Policy Forum
FULL STORY: Restoring land kicks up a debate

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