UC Davis holds the option to purchase approximately 300 acres of land surrounding the Kidwell interchange on Interstate 80 southwest of Davis.

UC Davis acquired this option early in the process of updating the campus Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) in the event that additional land was needed for agricultural teaching and research use. With completion of the LRDP in November of 2003, the campus has determined it does not need this property for such use. In the meantime, the campus has initiated conversations with local agencies interested in preserving the agricultural use of the property.

The agencies are seeking funding partners to secure a perpetual agricultural easement that would ensure continued agricultural use of the property.

"This is a rare opportunity to make a legacy decision," said John Meyer, vice chancellor for resource management and planning. "With the growth pressure facing the I-80 corridor, eventual urbanization of this land is very likely. We share the goals of our partners to preserve regional agricultural land and create open-space buffers between Davis and Dixon."

Discussions to date have included staff of the California Department of Conservation, California Farmland Conservancy Program (CFCP), city of Davis, city of Dixon, Solano County, the Solano Land Trust, and UC Davis. The partners are applying for state and federal grant money, as well as seeking additional funding partners.

Working with local and regional jurisdictions on agriculture and open space preservation and separation of urban areas is one objective of the campus's 2003 Long Range Development Plan. The plan, an update of the 1994 LRDP, projects campus growth through 2015-16 and was developed after almost three years of community workshops and forums.