Sam Farr: “I represent probably one of the most productive agricultural communities in the United States. Our county alone produces…”

“I represent probably one of the most productive agricultural communities in the United States. Our county alone produces 55 crops. We do about $2.4 billion in sales. This is the County of Monterey and the Salinas Valley, also known as Steinbeck country because that is the area that John Steinbeck wrote about. What is happening with the land use pressures in California where we have 33 million people in the State; we are growing very fast, and for these productive agricultural lands, the farmers are getting together. As the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall) indicated, we also have the California Cattlemen's Association, which has created a private nonprofit to allow the transfer of a lot of easements, because that way the land still stays in private ownership, only what one is selling is the development rights. Now, what the gentleman's amendment would do is just prohibit these wonderfully new inventive tools that have been used by the private sector, by willing sellers.”