DEVELOPING INTEGRATED RESEARCH AND DECISION SUPPORT TOOLS TO SUPPORT FARMLAND PRESERVATION FOR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES (FARMPRES)

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: AFRI COMPETITIVE GRANT
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1019185
• Grant No.: 2019-67019-29458
• Cumulative Award Amt.: $199,997.00
• Proposal No.: 2018-07040
• Project Start Date: Jun 1, 2019
• Project End Date: May 31, 2022
• Grant Year: 2019
• Program Code: [A1401]- Foundational Program: Soil Health

Recipient Organization
BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY
1910 UNIVERSITY DRIVE
BOISE,ID 83725

Performing Department
College of Innovation & Design

Non Technical Summary
Between 1992 and 2012, almost 31 million acres of American farmland was irreversibly lost to development. Farmland preservation is difficult to implement because it requires cross-sectoral policy decisions and financial investments, but obtaining buy-in from diverse stakeholders at multiple levels requires an improved understanding and communication of the multiple benefits, or "ecosystem services" that society obtains from agricultural lands. The overarching goal of this project is to develop novel approaches to accurately measure, and effectively communicate, the multiple ES provided by agriculture, so that as a society, we can make informed decisions about where, when, and how to preserve farmland. In this seed proposal, we combine biophysical assessments of ecosystem services provision, research into the policy mechanisms and obstacles to farmland preservation, and deep engagement with diverse stakeholders to identify integrative, cross-sectoral solutions for farmland preservation that maximize ecosystem services provision. We have assembled a transdisciplinary team of scientists and stakeholders focused around a pilot case study in the Boise (Idaho) Metropolitan Area, where our recent research predicts that up to 64% of farmlands will be converted to developed land uses by 2100. Our case study area is representative of issues confronting farmland and communities throughout the US, and will inform the submission of a standard AFRI grant targeted on a larger region in FY 2020.

Animal Health Component

100%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

100%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
131	0399	1060	100%

Knowledge Area
131 - Alternative Uses of Land;

Subject Of Investigation
0399 - Watersheds and river basins, general;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems);

Keywords

decision-support

ecosystem services

social-ecological systems; conservation

sustainable ag. sys.

Goals / Objectives
By 2050, the global demands on agriculture to provide sufficient food, fiber, and energy are expected to be 50 to 70 percent higher than they are now (FAO, 2016). The United States has among the most fertile agricultural landscapes in the world, which ensures domestic food security and contributes to global food supplies. However, between 1992 and 2012, almost 31 million acres of farmland in the US were irreversibly lost to development (Sorensen et al., 2018). Given the limited arable land and the need to feed an increasing number of people, it is critical to protect farmland to ensure U.S. prosperity, food security, and economic vitality for generations to come. Despite its importance, farmland preservation is difficult to implement because it requires cross-sectoral policy decisions and financial investments at local, regional, state, and national levels. However, obtaining buy-in from diverse stakeholders at multiple levels is challenging because the short-term financial gain of farmland development for a farmer or developer typically outweighs the long-term societal outcomes. Furthermore, in the US, because of our globalized food supply chain, the loss of a farm next door does not directly manifest into a direct impact for individuals or communities in the amount or cost of food.A key component to garnering cross-scale and cross-sectoral support for farmland preservation is to better communicate the multiple benefits, or "ecosystem services", provided by American agro-ecosystems. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment formulated the Ecosystem Services (ES) framework in order to present information about ecosystem health in a way that is useful for a wide variety of decision-makers (MEA, 2005). In addition to food production, farmland regulates soil and water quality, sequesters carbon, and provides cultural and scenic value (Power, 2010; Swinton et al., 2007; Zhang et al., 2007). Agriculture can also support biodiversity and wildlife, which provide extremely important recreational and regulating ES (Swift et al., 2004). One approach to measuring the linkages between land management and ES is to focus on how a specific land use or intervention influences the provision of a single ES, for example, the effect of no-till cultivation on soil erosion (Ruckelshaus et al., 2015). However, because land management can have positive effects for some ES and negative for others, a focus on a single ES does not account for tradeoffs in other ES that may occur with specific land management decisions. Thus, an important research frontier in the area of farmland preservation is to better measure trade-offs or synergies among multiple ES that result from different land use choices (Cord et al., 2017).The overarching goal of this project is to develop novel approaches to accurately measure, and effectively communicate, the multiple ES provided by agriculture, so that as a society, we can make informed decisions about where, when, and how to preserve farmland. With this seed grant, we will:Compile and analyze existing empirical datasets to estimate trade-offs among 6 ES under different scenarios of farmland loss in the rich agricultural region surrounding Boise, IdahoDesign novel research to better quantify ES provided by preserved farmlandIdentify the ways in which policies create barriers and opportunities for preservationDesign decision-support tools for farmland preservation in collaboration with diverse stakeholders

Project Methods
APPROACH3.1 Objective 1: Compile and analyze existing empirical datasets to estimate trade-offs among 6 ES under different scenarios of farmland lossIn our first objective, we will compile existing datasets from each of our co-Is and then use spatial modeling frameworks such as Artificial Intelligence for Ecosystem Services (ARIES), Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST), and Maximum Entropy Modeling (MaxEnt) to obtain spatially-explicit estimates of the provision of each ES. We will then intersect our ES maps with our recently published urban growth projections (Sprague et al. 2017) that represent different scenarios of farmland preservation, and calculate aggregate values of each ES generated from each scenario. Finally, we will synthesize the scenarios analysis to compare trade-offs and synergies among ES from different scenarios. The end goal is to produce reasonable estimates of how a suite of valued ES are likely to change in the future based on different decisions regarding urban growth, policy, zoning, and investments in farmland preservation.3.2 Objective 2: Design novel research to better quantify ES provided by farmlandTo achieve our second objective, we will engage in quarterly "chalk talks" among sub-teams organized around each ES explored in Objective 1 (see Management Plan for description of sub-teams) and semi-annual full-team chalk talks to communicate progress of and synergize among sub-teams. Chalk talks are an effective format for small groups to formulate research questions, hypotheses, and design. Each individual on a sub-team will take turns leading the quarterly chalk talk, with the goal of converging on an integrative and novel research design geared towards farmland preservation and the ES of interest. A representative of each team will take turns leading a portion of each semi-annual full-team chalk talk. The specific ideas for research design initiated by these chalk talks will be synthesized by PD Brandt after each chalk talk, and she will assign team-members with specific writing tasks to be completed prior to the next chalk talk. The ideas and writing stemming from the chalk talks will culminate in a 2020 USDA AFRI standard proposal focused on developing integrated and novel methods for measuring ES derived from farmland in the American West.Knowledge gaps have been identified by all of our sub-teams, which we describe briefly here. A major interest of our Biodiversity sub-team is to design research towards spatial optimization of farmland preservation. Grape, apple and hops production is increasing in the BMA but as these fields and orchards become more isolated due to urbanization, a decline in kestrel populations may result in more pest problems, resulting in economic losses and requiring increased pesticide applications. Elk and mule deer preferentially use some habitats and migration corridors, and preserving farmland with optimal habitat is important for species viability. Through our chalk talks, we will design future research including spatial optimization of farmland preservation approaches that most effectively protect biodiversity-related ES.During quarterly chalk talks, our cultural ES sub-team will develop improved methods for quantifying the value of agricultural lands for cultural ES. Cultural ES are notoriously difficult to quantify because their value is less tangible than provisioning or regulating services, and less quantifiable by traditional societal measures such as monetary worth (Rodriguez et al., 2006). Our survey (described above in 3.1.3) revealed that people strongly associate farmland with cultural heritage, but important questions remain: How do cultural ES vary with farm type, i.e. do people derive similar cultural benefits from small family farms as from corporate feedlots? Do values change as the overall landscape becomes more developed? These are all questions that are inherently linked to the changes in crop type observed by the Food Production sub-team, as well as the impacts of farmland loss for wildlife (which provide cultural ES), but seldom do researchers focused on cultural ES integrate biophysical data, wildlife ecology, or land use projections into their study design. An important consideration in designing our research will be to produce information about cultural ES that is relevant and applicable for policy discussions about farmland preservation.3.3 Objective 3: Policy options for farmland preservation There is much knowledge to be gained about the design and implementation of effective policy for farmland preservation. In this seed proposal, we have assembled a Policy sub-team to set the stage for designing rigorous quantitative social science research into the policy aspects of farmland preservation. Specifically, we will a) conduct an in-depth review of the primary mechanisms (e.g. economic, policy, and social incentives) that may promote farmland preservation, b) identify the obstacles that private land-owners, farmers, ranchers, and communities face that discourage farmland preservation using informational interviews with our stakeholder partners, and c) outline a research agenda for furthering our knowledge about these issues. Our study site is intriguing, because Idaho, a deeply conservative state, has strong ideological resistance to restrictions on private land use, federal involvement in land management, and planning and zoning. At the same time, farmland preservation resonates with people across the political spectrum, and strong and integrative grass-roots efforts to preserve farmland have gained traction in recent years. A variety of mechanisms exist, including agricultural easements, smart-growth zoning, farm-to-table communities, and legislative action to put development decisions to a popular vote. However, the scale, extent, effectiveness and limitations of the different mechanisms are not well understood, and this seed proposal will lay the foundation for filling this critical knowledge gap.Objective 4: FarmPrES - Farm Preservation for Ecosystem Services - Decision SupportOur Decision Support sub-team, in collaboration with our stakeholder partners, will co-design informational sources and decision-support tools to communicate the science generated from this proposal. We will hold semi-annual stakeholder meetings, where products will be designed through an iterative process of communication, presentation, and revision. Co-I Schneider has been leading a similar process with stakeholders involved in our urban growth project, which led to our team producing a variety of general public informational sources and decision support tools including the Treasure Valley Water Atlas, a suite of informational sources about projected urban growth, and general interest articles and community conversations about farmland preservation. We will continue this work in this project, and will engage our extensive network of stakeholders in the region to co-design informational sources and decision-support tools focused on the results of the research we conduct in this proposal. We will engage existing stakeholder partners and new partners that are specifically focused on farming, including local corporate and non-profit interests and the American Farmland Trust, who is the leading national farmland preservation organization, who will help us link our project to regional and national farmland preservation efforts (see letters of support). The deeper local connections and new regional connections facilitated by this seed grant will be instrumental in the development of our standard USDA AFRI grant proposal in 2020.

Progress 06/01/19 to 05/31/22

Outputs
Target Audience:We conducted a wide variety of efforts to engage diverse stakeholders. A detailed list is provided in "Other Products", and general types of efforts included: Press releases for newsletters and BSU community. Invited speaker and panel presentations at workshops and planning events. Tabling at a local open-air festival focused on agricultural appreciation. In-person meetings and conference calls with other actors actively engaged in farmland protection (e.g. agricultural industry, city planners, land trusts). Formal classroom instruction with undergraduates. Experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate student researchers. Development of a web presence on the Boise State system Our efforts engaged diverse audiences, as listed below: Representatives of agricultural industry NRCS Ada Soil & Water Conservation District Individual farmers Crookham Seed Company Eastern Idaho Seed Growers Association Idaho Farm Bureau Idaho Center for Sustainable Agriculture Idaho Coalition of Land Trusts Idaho Department of Agriculture Idaho Historic Preservation Consultant Idaho Smart Growth Idaho Soil and Water Conservation Commission Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides Payette Soil & Water Conservation District Non-profits focused on farmland preservation Land Trust of the Treasure Valley American Farmland Trust Treasure Valley Food Coalition Idaho Coalition of Land Trusts Palouse Land Trust Sun Valley Institute The Nature Conservancy General Public - Press releases and interviews Local TV news Local newspapers Table at a regional "Treasure our Valley" festival about agriculture in Idaho Boise State Public Radio House Alliance and Community Partnerships Idaho Humanities Council City and County Planners Boise City Ada County Adams County Canyon County Compass: Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho Canyon County Development Services College of Southern Idaho Nez Perce County Owyhee County Community Development Payette County Planning and Zoning Teton County Faculty researchers and students The project integrates 9 faculty researchers from multiple disciplines and provides training for 1 PhD and 2 undergraduates who are women and/or racial minorities. In addition, we have created new partnerships with the following educational institutions: Boise Schools, College of Southern Idaho, University of Idaho, University of Idaho Extension Teton County, Colorado State University's Salazar Center for North American Conservation, Ecosystem Workforce Program the University of Oregon and Oregon State University, University of California-Berkeley's Institute for Parks, People, and Biodiversity, University of Colorado's Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment at Colorado Law, University of Montana's O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountains West Changes/Problems:In general, we have not experienced major challenges and the project is moving forward as planned. Our stakeholder engagement was not as robust this past year as in previous years, due to Covid. However, now that restrictions are lighter, we have been engaging more, and have several evets planned for Fall 2022. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We have trained one PhD student, who is from a demographic group that is under-represented in the sciences. The PhD student received training in the form of coursework and one-on-one work with mentors (including faculty researchers and stakeholders). The PhD student also participated in several professional development activities, including community workshops, discussion panels, and festivals focused on farmland protection. We have hired an additional two students for the new award, both of whom are from demographic groups that are under-represented in the sciences. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Providing decision support is a specific objective (Objective 4), and while our outreach was limited this past year due to Covid, we were still able to engage in several outreach opportunities, including press releases, invited presentations to government and community groups, and invited academic talks. We also have participated in activities that disseminate knowledge to undergraduate students at Boise State via guest seminars in undergraduate courses. Please refer to the section "Target Audience" and "Other Products" in this report for a detailed list of outreach activities. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We are well positioned to achieve, and likely exceed, all our project objectives. In particular, for Objective 1, we will submit 2 manuscripts for peer review. For Objective 2, we were awarded a "standard" proposal, which has allowed us to hire two additional PhD students for an expanded scope. For Objective 3, we will have a manuscript for submission in Spring 2023. For Objective 4, we have already designed decision support tools and included in our "standard" grant proposal. We will continue to engage with stakeholders to learn additional data needs, and if our new proposal is funded, we will initiate work on the expanded scope.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Statement of impact Problem statement: From 2001 to 2016, 11 million acres of American farmland were converted for development. Food security is an important societal issue, but protecting farmland is difficult because it requires cross-sectoral buy-in from stakeholders at local, state, regional and national levels. Project goal: Our goal is to conduct research and outreach that supports efforts to protect America's farmland and food supply. We focus on a case study area of Boise, Idaho, which has some of the nation's most productive agricultural land, and also one of its fastest growing population rates. Our project will affect changes in the knowledge, action and condition of farmland protection, by increasing collaboration among scientists from different disciplines and diverse stakeholders involved in farmland protection. The knowledge gained from our research is directly relevant to other agricultural regions of the U.S that are facing development pressure. Main accomplishment this year: Our main accomplishment this year was to make significant advances on all of our project objectives, despite the overwhelming challenges of Covid, both for our research time and for the broader stakeholder community with whom we work extensively. Our research, coupled with extensive outreach and community engagement, have lead to changes in knowledge about, and action towards, farmland protection. This shift in knowledge and action will generate changes in the condition of farmland protection. In the bigger picture, our continued stakeholder engagement with diverse community members are of critical importance, because they bridge a growing political and social divide between urban and rural communities, and ensure that science is embedded within the policy process. Furthermore, the knowledge we create about agriculture, ecosystem services, and policy options will be used in decision-making. Finally, we were awaraded a "standard" grant proposal for the FY2021 cycle to this same program to expand the spatial and intellectual scope of our project. Activities and accomplishments for each specific project objective: We completed all year benchmarks and here we detail activities associated with each objective. Compile and analyze existing empirical datasets to estimate trade-offs among 6 ES under different scenarios of farmland loss in the rich agricultural region surrounding Boise, Idaho Major activities: The PhD student has a) completed all Year 3 benchmarks for successful completion of research and degree program. b) completed mapping and statistical analysis, and c) has a near-final draft of a manuscript, to be submitted September 2022. Data collected: None. We are using existing datasets for this analysis. Summary statistics and discussion of results: We quantified the relationships between agricultural land quality and ES supply for land use in 2016, and then measured how ES supply is likely to change in the future under a "business as usual" land use change scenario. We conducted our study in the Treasure Valley, Idaho, where the issue of agricultural land loss is particularly relevant due to severe development pressure, few restrictions on land use, and limited arable land. We found that higher quality agricultural land (HQAL) was associated with food provision, livestock crop production, and nitrogen retention, whereas lower quality agricultural land (LQAL) was associated with carbon sequestration, habitat quality, and recreation. Urban development is likely to occur on HQAL. Over 15 times more HQAL will be developed between 2016 and 2050 compared to LQAL. With the expected loss of agricultural land to development, the landscape in 2050 will have a lower supply of four of the six chosen ES compared to 2016. We found that livestock crop production will decrease the most over the time period (-28.8%) followed by food provision (-22.8%), nitrogen retention (-19.3%), and habitat quality (-7.4%). However, carbon sequestration (+5.5%) and recreation (+1.6%) will increase. Overall, we found strong evidence that certain ES are associated with varying levels of agricultural land quality and HQAL was shown to be particularly vulnerable to development. Therefore, our results suggest that in regions without land use policy that restricts agricultural land conversion, the development of HQAL is likely to occur, with consequential impacts to food production and other critical ES. We recommend the implementation of policies that consider the tradeoffs of developing on HQAL versus LQAL to help balance the many competing demands of our lands. Key outcomes or other accomplishments: Changes in knowledge gained by the PhD studentsinvolved in this project, and greater communication and collaboration across faculty researchers from multiple disciplines. Design novel research to better quantify ES provided by preserved farmland Major activities completed: We submitted and were awarded a "Standard" grant proposal to expand the spatial and intellectual scope of our project. Data collected: During the chalk talks, the PI and PhD student collected detailed notes of the discussion, and synthesized the discussion into main points and action items. These notes led to the development of the new proposal. Summary statistics and discussion of results: Please contact the PI for the proposal submission document. Key outcomes or other accomplishments: Changes in knowledge gained by faculty researchers, and the PhD student involved in this project, and greater communication and collaboration across faculty researchers from multiple disciplines. Expansion of the scope and impact of the research to a regional scale. Identify the ways in which policies create barriers and opportunities for preservation Major activities completed: a) The PhD student has collected the data. b) conducted a preliminary coding analysis of the data. c) Built a strong network of stakeholders that will serve as a pool of informants for the social science research. Data collected: 10 qualitative interviews were collected in Winter-Spring 2022, and coding has been completed. Summary statistics and discussion of results: The PhD student is in the process of analyzing and writing up her results. Expected submission of manuscript in Spring 2023. Key outcomes or other accomplishments: Changes in knowledge gained by the PhD, and a strong network of stakeholders, who will serve as a pool of informants for the research. Design decision-support tools for farmland preservation in collaboration with diverse stakeholders Major activities completed: Our extensive outreach activities as detailed in "Target Audience" and "Other products" Data collected: After each outreach event, the Project Director and PhD student synthesized the proceedings of the event into main points, which we will use to guide the new "Standard" grant projection activities. Summary statistics and discussion of results: The design of our decision support tools are included in our recent "standard" grant proposal award. Key outcomes or other accomplishments: a) We have established a strong network of stakeholders, who will serve as our advisory board during the decision support development phase. b) Knowledge gained by the researchers in terms of what information needs stakeholders have. c) Knowledge gained by stakeholders of our research and capabilities.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2023 Citation: Halperin, S., J. Schneider, R. Som Castellano, and J. Brandt. Prospects for Farmland Protection in the Treasure Valley; A look into U.S. Policy and Community Conversations. Target Journal: Idaho Policy Institute White Papers.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Halperin, S. and J. Brandt. Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Ecosystem Service Across an Urbanizing Agricultural Landscape. IALE Conference, April 2022.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Halperin, S. and J. Brandt. Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Ecosystem Service Across an Urbanizing Agricultural Landscape. SCB Conference, July 2022.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2023 Citation: Halperin, S. and J. Brandt. In prep. Development Occurs Preferentially on Highest Quality Agricultural Land with Consequential Impacts on Critical Ecosystem Services. Target Journal: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment.

Progress 06/01/20 to 05/31/21

Outputs
Target Audience:We conducted a wide variety of efforts to engage diverse stakeholders. A detailed list is provided in "Other Products", and general types of efforts included: Press releases for newsletters and BSU community. Invited speaker and panel presentations at workshops and planning events. Tabling at a local open-air festival focused on agricultural appreciation. In-person meetings and conference calls with other actors actively engaged in farmland protection (e.g. agricultural industry, city planners, land trusts). Formal classroom instruction with undergraduates. Experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate student researchers. Development of a web presence on the Boise State system Our efforts engaged diverse audiences, as listed below: Representatives of agricultural industry NRCS Ada Soil & Water Conservation District Individual farmers Crookham Seed Company Eastern Idaho Seed Growers Association Idaho Farm Bureau Idaho Center for Sustainable Agriculture Idaho Coalition of Land Trusts Idaho Department of Agriculture Idaho Historic Preservation Consultant Idaho Smart Growth Idaho Soil and Water Conservation Commission Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides Payette Soil & Water Conservation District Non-profits focused on farmland preservation Land Trust of the Treasure Valley American Farmland Trust Treasure Valley Food Coalition Idaho Coalition of Land Trusts Palouse Land Trust Sun Valley Institute The Nature Conservancy General Public - Press releases and interviews Local TV news Local newspapers Table at a regional "Treasure our Valley" festival about agriculture in Idaho Boise State Public Radio House Alliance and Community Partnerships Idaho Humanities Council City and County Planners Boise City Ada County Adams County Canyon County Compass: Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho Canyon County Development Services College of Southern Idaho Nez Perce County Owyhee County Community Development Payette County Planning and Zoning Teton County Faculty researchers and students The project integrates 9 faculty researchers from multiple disciplines and provides training for 1 PhD and 2 undergraduates who are women and/or racial minorities. In addition, we have created new partnerships with the following educational institutions: Boise Schools, College of Southern Idaho, University of Idaho, University of Idaho Extension Teton County, Colorado State University's Salazar Center for North American Conservation, Ecosystem Workforce Program the University of Oregon and Oregon State University, University of California-Berkeley's Institute for Parks, People, and Biodiversity, University of Colorado's Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment at Colorado Law, University of Montana's O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountains Changes/Problems:In general, we have not experienced major challenges and the project is moving forward as planned. Our stakeholder engagement was not as robust this past year as in previous years, due to Covid. However, now that restrictions are lighter, we have been engaging more, and have several evets planned for Fall 2021. Complications may arise from the ongoing COVID restrictions on in-person meetings. Should the COVID situation persist and significantly impacts the progress of our project, we will reach out to the program manager overseeing our grant to discuss our course of action. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We have trained one PhD student, who is from a demographic group that is under-represented in the sciences. The PhD student received training in the form of coursework and one-on-one work with mentors (including faculty researchers and stakeholders). The PhD student also participated in several professional development activities, including community workshops, discussion panels, and festivals focused on farmland protection. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Providing decision support is a specific objective (Objective 4), and while our outreach was limited this past year due to Covid, we were still able to engage in several outreach opportunities, including press releases, invited presentations to government and community groups, and invited academic talks. We also have participated in activities that disseminate knowledge to undergraduate students at Boise State via guest seminars in undergraduate courses. Please refer to the section "Target Audience" and "Other Products" in this report for a detailed list of outreach activities. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We are well positioned to achieve, and likely exceed, all our project objectives. In particular, for Objective 1, we will finish the mapping analysis and prepare for peer review. For Objective 2, we have already prepared a full "standard" proposal, which, if funded, will allow us to hire three additional PhD students for an expanded scope. For Objective 3, we will conduct focus groups and interviews associated with the policy research, analyze the data, and begin preparing for publication. For Objective 4, we have already designed decision support tools and included in our "standard" grant proposal. The PhD student working on this project will apply for a USDA pre-doctoral fellowship. We will continue to engage with stakeholders to learn additional data needs, and if our new proposal is funded, we will initiate work on the expanded scope.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Statement of impact Problem statement: From 2001 to 2016, 11 million acres of American farmland were converted for development. Food security is an important societal issue, but protecting farmland is difficult because it requires cross-sectoral buy-in from stakeholders at local, state, regional and national levels. Project goal: Our goal is to conduct research and outreach that supports efforts to protect America's farmland and food supply. We focus on a case study area of Boise, Idaho, which has some of the nation's most productive agricultural land, and also one of its fastest growing population rates. Our project will affect changes in the knowledge, action and condition of farmland protection, by increasing collaboration among scientists from different disciplines and diverse stakeholders involved in farmland protection. The knowledge gained from our research is directly relevant to other agricultural regions of the U.S that are facing development pressure. Main accomplishment this year: Our main accomplishment this year was to make significant advances on all of our project objectives, despite the overwhelming challenges of Covid, both for our research time and for the broader stakeholder community with whom we work extensively. Our research, coupled with extensive outreach and community engagement, have led to changes in knowledge about, and action towards, farmland protection. This shift in knowledge and action will generate changes in the condition of farmland protection. In the bigger picture, our continued stakeholder engagement with diverse community members are of critical importance, because they bridge a growing political and social divide between urban and rural communities, and ensure that science is embedded within the policy process. Furthermore, the knowledge we create about agriculture, ecosystem services, and policy options will be used in decision-making. Finally, we submitted a "standard" grant proposal for the FY2021 cycle to this same program to expand the spatial and intellectual scope of our project. Activities and accomplishments for each specific project objective: We completed all second year benchmarks and here we detail activities associated with each objective. 1. Compile and analyze existing empirical datasets to estimate trade-offs among 6 ES under different scenarios of farmland loss in the rich agricultural region surrounding Boise, Idaho The ecosystem services framework, commonly applied in conservation science, has the potential to bolster local stakeholders' understanding of the value of agricultural land and better inform decisions regarding farmland protection. In this study, we a) use the ecosystem services framework to identify the multiple benefits provided by agricultural lands, and b) optimization algorithms, which incorporate land costs, to identify priority agricultural lands for protection. Major activities: The PhD student has a) completed all Year 2 benchmarks for successful completion of research and degree program. b) completed final maps for all ecosystem services, c) preliminary statistical analysis of the ES maps, and d) preliminary optimization mapping. Data collected: None. We are using existing datasets for this analysis. Summary statistics and discussion of results: In progress. Results should be available for the next annual report. Key outcomes or other accomplishments: Changes in knowledge gained by the PhD students involved in this project, and greater communication and collaboration across faculty researchers from multiple disciplines. 2. Design novel research to better quantify ES provided by preserved farmland Whereas Objective 1 uses existing datasets, in Objective 2 we develop novel approaches for measuring the ecosystem services provided by farmland. Major activities completed: Chalk talks; Submission of a "Standard" grant proposal in June 2021. Data collected: During the chalk talks, the PI and PhD student collected detailed notes of the discussion, and synthesized the discussion into main points and action items. These notes led to the development of the new proposal. Summary statistics and discussion of results: Please contact the PI for the proposal submission document. Key outcomes or other accomplishments: Changes in knowledge gained by faculty researchers, and the PhD student involved in this project, and greater communication and collaboration across faculty researchers from multiple disciplines. Expansion of the scope and impact of the research to a regional scale. 3. Identify the ways in which policies create barriers and opportunities for preservation Currently, in our study area, there is limited legislation, at a local or state level, or other means, to protect farmland. However, pressure from local constituents is mounting, and decision-makers need information about what policy options exist and how effective they may be in our region. Here, we will use policy analysis and social science interviews to determine suitable farmland protection mechanisms for a given region. Major activities completed: a) The PhD student has developed the survey instrument. b) Developed a sampling plan. c) Built a strong network of stakeholders that will serve as a pool of informants for the social science research. Data collected: The data collection is scheduled for Winter 2022, since agricultural stakeholders have more time in the non-growing season. Summary statistics and discussion of results: None. The data has yet to be collected. Key outcomes or other accomplishments: Changes in knowledge gained by the PhD, and a strong network of stakeholders, who will serve as a pool of informants for the research. 4. Design decision-support tools for farmland preservation in collaboration with diverse stakeholders Frequently, scientific knowledge that could be used to guide policy decisions is not effectively communicated to decision-makers or the public. In collaboration with our stakeholder partners, we will co-design informational sources and decision-support tools to communicate the science generated from this proposal. Major activities completed: Our extensive outreach activities as detailed in "Target Audience" and "Other products" Data collected: After each outreach event, the Project Director and PhD student synthesized the proceedings of the event into main points, which we will use to guide Year 2 project activities. Summary statistics and discussion of results: The design of our decision support tools are included in our recent "standard" grant proposal submission. Key outcomes or other accomplishments: a) We have established a strong network of stakeholders, who will serve as our advisory board during the decision support development phase. b) Knowledge gained by the researchers in terms of what information needs stakeholders have. c) Knowledge gained by stakeholders of our research and capabilities.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Conservation Conversations: Addressing 21st Century Conservation Challenges to Benefit Our People, Economy, and Environment. 2021

Progress 06/01/19 to 05/31/20

Outputs
Target Audience:We conducted a wide variety of efforts to engage diverse stakeholders. A detailed list is provided in "Other Products", and general types of efforts included: Press releases for local TV and print news outlets. Invited speaker and panel presentations at workshops and planning events. Tabling at a local open-air festival focused on agricultural appreciation. In-person meetings and conference calls with other actors actively engaged in farmland protection (e.g. agricultural industry, city planners, land trusts). Formal classroom instruction with undergraduates. Experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate student researchers. Development of a web presence on the Boise State system Our efforts engaged diverse audiences, as listed below: Representatives of agricultural industry Individual farmers Crookham Seed Company Eastern Idaho Seed Growers Association Idaho Farm Bureau Non-profits focused on farmland preservation Land Trust of the Treasure Valley American Farmland Trust Treasure Valley Food Coalition Idaho Coalition of Land Trusts General Public - Press releases and interviews Local TV news Local newspapers Table at a regional "Treasure our Valley" festival about agriculture in Idaho City and County Planners Boise City Ada County Canyon County Compass: Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho Faculty researchers and students The project integrates 9 faculty researchers from multiple disciplines and provides training for 1 PhD and 2 undergraduates who are women and/or racial minorities. Changes/Problems:We have not experienced major challenges and the project is moving forward as planned. One complication may arise from the ongoing COVID restrictions on in-person meetings. This will not affect Objectives 1 or 2, as both of these objectives can be conducted with virtual meetings. However, Objective 3 and 4 requires focus groups, interviews, and workshops with stakeholders, which theoretically we could conduct virtually, but in practice, will be most effective in an in-person setting. Should the COVID situation persist, we would be excited to speak with the program manager overseeing our grant to discuss our course of action. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We have trained one PhD student and 2 undergraduate students. All three students are from demographic groups that are under-represented in the sciences. The PhD student received training in the form of coursework and one-on-one work with mentors (including faculty researchers and stakeholders). The PhD student also participated in several professional development activities, including community workshops, discussion panels, and festivals focused on farmland protection. The undergraduate students received training in the form of participating in the Vertically Integrated Project, for which they received course credit and mentorship. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Providing decision support is a specific objective (Objective 4), and we conducted numerous forms of outreach in the past year, including press releases, invited presentations to government and community groups, and "tabling" at a local event on farmland protection. We also have participated in activities that disseminate knowledge to undergraduate students at Boise State, via our Vertically Integrated Project and via guest seminars in undergraduate courses. Please refer to the section "Target Audience" and "Other Products" in this report for a detailed list of outreach activities. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We are well positioned to achieve our Year 2 benchmarks for all objectives. In particular, for Objective 1, we will finish mapping the Ecosystem Services and begin the optimization analysis. For Objective 2, we will conduct Year 2 team meetings and prepare a full proposal based on the outcomes of these sessions to the 2021 USDA AFRI program. For Objective 3, we will conduct focus groups and interviews associated with the policy research. For Objective 4, we will conduct a workshop among researchers and stakeholders to begin the co-design of decision support tools, which will form a part of our full submission in 2021.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Statement of impact Problem statement: From 2001 to 2016, 11 million acres of American farmland were converted for development. Food security is an important societal issue, but protecting farmland is difficult because it requires cross-sectoral buy-in from stakeholders at local, state, regional and national levels. Project goal: Our goal is to conduct research and outreach that supports efforts to protect America's farmland and food supply. We focus on a case study area of Boise, Idaho, which has some of the nation's most productive agricultural land, and also one of its fastest growing population rates. Our project will affect changes in the knowledge, action and condition of farmland protection, by increasing collaboration among scientists from different disciplines and diverse stakeholders involved in farmland protection. The knowledge gained from our research is directly relevant to other agricultural regions of the U.S that are facing development pressure. Main accomplishment this year: Our main accomplishment this year was to build a cross-disciplinary and cross-sectoral coalition of stakeholders and scientists to support efforts towards farmland protection in a rapidly urbanizing landscape. Because of past work (funded by NSF) of several of our key research team members (Brandt, Schneider, Som-Castellano) we are considered lead scientists on cross-sectoral efforts towards farmland protection. In the first year of our grant, we have a) galvanized our research team and initiate our research plan, and b) participate a wide variety of stakeholder activities, including workshops, festivals, and one-on-one conversations with non-profits, government officials and the agricultural industry. Our research, coupled with extensive outreach and community engagement, have lead to changes in knowledge about, and action towards, farmland protection. This shift in knowledge and action will generate changes in the condition of farmland protection. In the bigger picture, our relationships with diverse stakeholders across the societal and political spectrum are of critical importance, because they bridge a growing political and social divide between urban and rural communities, and ensure that science is embedded within the policy process. Furthermore, the knowledge we create about agriculture, ecosystem services, and policy options will be used in decision-making. Activities and accomplishments for each specific project objective: We completed all first year benchmarks and here we detail activities associated with each objective. 1. Compile and analyze existing empirical datasets to estimate trade-offs among 6 ES under different scenarios of farmland loss in the rich agricultural region surrounding Boise, Idaho The ecosystem services framework, commonly applied in conservation science, has the potential to bolster local stakeholders' understanding of the value of agricultural land and better inform decisions regarding farmland protection. In this study, we a) use the ecosystem services framework to identify the multiple benefits provided by agricultural lands, and b) optimization algorithms, which incorporate land costs, to identify priority agricultural lands for protection. Major activities: a) We hired a PhD student and established a Vertically Integrated Program (VIP), which enabled 2 undergraduate students to earn credit towards their degree for active participation in a research. b) the PhD student has established a work plan and timeline for successful completion of research and degree program. c) compiled existing datasets. d) created preliminary maps of 5 of the 7 ecosystem services, including food production, recreation, cultural heritage, and soil carbon storage. Data collected: None. We are using existing datasets for this analysis. Summary statistics and discussion of results: None. The research is still in its early stages. Key outcomes or other accomplishments: Changes in knowledge gained by the PhD and undergraduate students involved in this project, and greater communication and collaboration across faculty researchers from multiple disciplines. 2. Design novel research to better quantify ES provided by preserved farmland Whereas Objective 1 uses existing datasets, in Objective 2 we develop novel approaches for measuring the ecosystem services provided by farmland. Major activities completed: We conducted several team "chalk talks". Data collected: During the chalk talks, the PI and PhD student collected detailed notes of the discussion, and synthesized the discussion into main points and action items. The notes will be used to guide project activities in Year 2. Summary statistics and discussion of results: None. The research is still in its early stages. Key outcomes or other accomplishments: Changes in knowledge gained by faculty researchers, and the PhD student involved in this project, and greater communication and collaboration across faculty researchers from multiple disciplines. 3. Identify the ways in which policies create barriers and opportunities for preservation Currently, in our study area, there is limited legislation, at a local or state level, or other means, to protect farmland. However, pressure from local constituents is mounting, and decision-makers need information about what policy options exist and how effective they may be in our region. Here, we will use policy analysis and social science interviews to determine suitable farmland protection mechanisms for a given region. Major activities completed: a) The PhD student has established a work plan and timeline for successful completion of research. b) Developed a survey instrument. c) Built a strong network of stakeholders that will serve as a pool of informants for the social science research. Data collected: One interview has been conducted and coded. Summary statistics and discussion of results: None. The research is still in its early stages. Key outcomes or other accomplishments: Changes in knowledge gained by the PhD, and the a strong network of stakeholders, who will serve as a pool of informants for the research. 4. Design decision-support tools for farmland preservation in collaboration with diverse stakeholders Frequently, scientific knowledge that could be used to guide policy decisions is not effectively communicated to decision-makers or the public. In collaboration with our stakeholder partners, we will co-design informational sources and decision-support tools to communicate the science generated from this proposal. Major activities completed: Our extensive outreach activities as detailed in "Target Audience" and "Other products" Data collected: After each outreach event, the Project Director and PhD student synthesized the proceedings of the event into main points, which we will use to guide Year 2 project activities. Summary statistics and discussion of results: None. The research is still in its early stages. Key outcomes or other accomplishments: a) We have established a strong network of stakeholders, who will serve as our advisory board during the decision support development phase. b) Knowledge gained by the researchers in terms of what information needs stakeholders have. c) Knowledge gained by stakeholders of our research and capabilities.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Quintas-Soriano, C, Gibson, D., Brandt, J, and Castro, A. 2020. An interdisciplinary assessment of private conservation areas in the Western United States. Ambio. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-020-01323-x
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: K Jones, J Abrams, RT Belote, BJ Beltr�n, J Brandt, N Carter, AJ Castro, BC Chaffin, AL Metcalf, G Roesch-McNally, KE Wallen, MA Williamson. 2019. The American West as a social-ecological region: drivers, dynamics and implications for nested social-ecological systems. Environmental Research Letters 14 (11), 115008
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Narducci, J, Quintas-Soriano, C, Som-Castellano, R., Castro, A. and Brandt, J. 2019. Implications of urban growth and farmland loss for ecosystem services in the western United States. Land Use Policy.86: 1-11.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Graves R, Williamson, Belote, and J. Brandt. 2019. Quantifying the contribution of conservation easements to large-landscape conservation. Biological Conservation 232, 83-96.