Land Use

Oversight of Delta land use and resource management is a fundamental responsibility of the Commission. More than 80% of Delta farmland is classified Prime by the USDA, the richest soil in the State. Agriculture was the reason for the Delta’s original reclamation, and remains the predominant land use in the primary zone. The Commission works to conserve agricultural land and economically sustainable agricultural operations in the Delta.

Land Use and Resource Management Plan

The Land Use and Resource Management Plan (PDF) guides land use decisions in the primary zone of the Delta through local government action.  We have initiated an update to the Plan. For more information, also see the Land Use and Resource Management Plan webpage.

Land Use Appeals

State law includes a process for appealing any action taken by a local government or agency that is inconsistent with the Commission’s Land Use and Resource Management Plan (Public Resources Code Sections 29770-29772). Appeals may be brought by any interested person, or by the Commission itself.

Summary of the Appeal Process (PDF)

Statutory Provisions and Commission Regulations (PDF)

Rural-Urban Connection Strategies (RUCS)

In 2016, the Delta Protection Commission partnered with the Sacramento Area Council of Governments to develop the Rural-Urban Connection Strategies (RUCS) project. The RUCS is an analysis of a region’s growth and sustainability objectives from a rural perspective, facilitating the development of economic and environmental sustainability strategies for rural areas.


For more information contact us.

If you are interested in receiving updates, join our mailing list.