Pay to Pave.

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Author: Pursell, Erin

CALIFORNIA

Tractors are holding ground against tract houses in California's Central Valley, one of the country's most fertile agricultural regions. In January, developers planning to subdivide 5,400 acres in Stockton agreed to settle a lawsuit by paying $17.5 million to protect nearby farmland. The Sierra Club filed the suit two years ago, claiming the city had illegally approved the projects. The settlement, which will fund conservation easements in San Joaquin County, requires the Stockton City Council to vote within six months on whether to charge developers a citywide farmlandpreservation fee. "We're hoping that for every acre of prime land that's paved over, an acre will be saved," says Eric Parfrey of the Club's Mother Lode Chapter.

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By Erin Pursell