Measure A’s Growing Impact: Reporting Back to the Community

By Peter Fugazzotto, Director, Communications

July 2, 2025

Three years ago, Marin County voters renewed Measure A, an innovative local funding mechanism that protects parks, open space, and sustainable agriculture for the long-term benefit of all. We want to share with the community how we’ve partnered with the county in these past three years to put those public funds to good use in strengthening our local food system and security. 

What is Measure A?

On June 7, 2022, Marin County voters approved the renewal of Measure A—a one-quarter of one-percent sales tax—which funds the protection, expansion, and preservation of open space, parks, and agricultural land—a continuing investment in a healthy Marin County for everyone. Measure A first passed in 2012.

Of the $14 million in projected annual revenue from this tax:

An aerial view of the recently MALT-protected Corda Family Ranch and the network of protected lands stretching across Marin County, one of the largest areas of conserved land in the Bay Area.

What farmland has MALT protected with Measure A?

MALT plays a small but important role in the successful implementation of Measure A. Our organization identifies and vets potential ranches and farms for conservation and applies to Marin County Parks to request Measure A grant funds to help acquire agricultural conservation easements to permanently protect Marin’s farms and ranches. The Marin County Board of Supervisors then considers grant recommendations from Marin County Parks and decides whether to fund them. All Measure A easements awards require a 1:1 match from another source.

In the 13 years since the start of Measure A, MALT has helped the county use the public funds to protect 18 farms and ranches totaling more than 11,149 acres.

Since the most recent renewal of Measure A just three years ago, the following 7 ranches and farms have been protected:

With the protection of agricultural land, Measure A funds are being used as they were intended, and strengthening long-term county food security.

Click to expand and explore this map.

Protecting Biodiversity with Measure A

Marin County sits at the heart of one of the world’s most biodiverse regions, where the Pacific Ocean and coastal mountains create a mosaic of unique microclimates and habitats. Our agricultural lands are not just sources of food—they serve as critical wildlife corridors and habitat linkages that connect natural areas, allowing wildlife to move freely across the landscape.

When MALT protects working farms and ranches through Measure A funding, we’re simultaneously safeguarding the biodiversity that makes our region extraordinary. These agricultural conservation easements preserve vast expanses of grasslands, riparian areas, and oak woodlands that serve as essential habitat for countless species, from migrating birds to native pollinators to large mammals like mountain lions and deer.

The ranches we’ve protected create crucial wildlife corridors that connect larger protected areas like Point Reyes National Seashore, Mount Tamalpais State Park, and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. For example, Spring Valley Ranch—one of the seven properties protected since Measure A’s renewal—serves as a critical habitat linkage, allowing wildlife to move along the Tomales Bay watersheds.

Supporting California’s 30×30 Initiative

Our farmland preservation efforts directly support California’s ambitious 30×30 initiative, which aims to conserve 30% of the state’s lands and coastal waters by 2030. Working agricultural lands play a vital role in achieving this goal, as they provide habitat value while remaining productive and economically viable.

The 11,149 acres of agricultural land protected through Measure A funding represent a significant contribution to this statewide conservation effort and the global effort to tackle the climate crisis. These lands support biodiversity not through exclusion of human activity, but through thoughtful stewardship that allows agriculture and wildlife to coexist.

What other funding did we bring to Marin?

This vital conservation work would not be possible without the generous support of MALT’s donors and private contributors, as well as Marin County voters who supported Measure A. As the leading organization in Marin County’s agricultural preservation, MALT serves as the catalyst that transforms private donations into major conservation victories. We strategically use donor funds to pursue Measure A grants, which require a 1:1 private match—meaning we can turn donor dollars into twice the conservation funding. 

We also leverage private donations to secure additional grants from the California Department of Conservation, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and others, effectively multiplying the impact of every contribution to MALT.

What kinds of food is Measure A protecting?

What other public benefits does Measure A provide? 

To date, we have invested Measure A funding to protect:

Your Tax Dollars at Work with Measure A

Three years after voters renewed Measure A, the results speak for themselves. This investment has protected thousands of acres of working farmland, preserved critical wildlife habitat, secured our local food supply, and strengthened the natural systems that make Marin County an extraordinary place to live.

Measure A represents democracy in action—local taxpayers funding local priorities that matter to our community. While federal and state programs come and go with changing political winds, Measure A provides steady, reliable funding that allows us to think long-term and act strategically. It’s a model of how communities can take control of their own destiny, investing in the landscapes and livelihoods that define who we are.

The farms and ranches we’ve protected through Measure A will never be developed. The wildlife corridors will remain intact. The local food production will continue. These are permanent victories for our community, funded by our community, benefiting our community for generations to come.

When you purchase something in Marin County and see that small sales tax, know that those pennies are working hard—protecting the open spaces where our children play, preserving the farms that feed our families, and maintaining the natural beauty that makes Marin County home. Measure A is proof that when we invest in what matters, we all benefit.

Thank you for supporting Measure A. Thank you for investing in Marin’s future.