During the past 40 years, urban sprawl and rural development in the United States have consumed 1 million acres of land annually. Today two-thirds of the dollar value of agricultural products come from farms and ranches that neighbor urban areas. And in most states, farmland is being converted to other uses at two to four times the rate of less productive land. In an effort to better protect farm and forest lands and wisely plan development in rapidly growing areas, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Policy Advisory Committee on Farmland Protection is holding a series of regional forums throughout the country, including one Friday, July 21, at UC Davis. The forum will be held from 9 a.m. to noon in the UC Davis Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center on Old Davis Road. Presiding over the forum will be Richard Rominger, who is deputy secretary for USDA and a longtime Yolo County farmer. After opening remarks, comments will be offered by panelists from the Central Valley and then by members of the public who have pre-registered to speak. USDA officials are hoping to glean information on the economic, environmental and social benefits of farms and forests; challenges communities face in protecting those areas; market opportunities for maintaining farm and forest activities; and suggestions for how the federal government might help. The Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center is located on the southeast corner of Old Davis Road and Mrak Hall Drive. Media contacts: Matthew Hargrove, Government and Community Relations, (530) 752-9796, mghargrove@ucdavis.edu; Patricia Bailey, News Service, (530) 752-9843, pjbailey@ucdavis.edu.