IN MANY PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES AND PARTICULARLY IN RURAL-URBAN FRINGE AREAS, AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST LANDS ARE RECEDING DUE TO RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT. THESE LOSSES IN AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST LAND REDUCE THE LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY OF AGRICULTURE AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES THAT ARE CRITICAL TO COMMUNITIES' SOCIAL WELFARE AND RURAL CHARACTER. IN RESPONSE TO THESE LOSSES, LAND CONSERVATION IS A MAJOR PRIORITY FOR MANY MUNICIPAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND HUNDREDS OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOS). HOWEVER, LAND CONSERVATION MAY HAVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES PERTAINING TO SOCIAL STRUCTURES AND EXISTING INEQUALITIES. AS WITH ANY MAJOR POLICY, IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND NOT ONLY THE EFFICIENCY BUT ALSO THE EQUITY. THE GOAL OF THIS PROPOSED RESEARCH IS TO ASSESS AND QUANTIFY HOW FARM AND OPEN SPACE CONSERVATION IMPACTS DIFFERENT SOCIOECONOMIC GROUPS.TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, WE WILL TAKE A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH THAT ENCOMPASSES MULTIPLE DATA AND MODELING FRAMEWORKS. WE WILL DEVELOP AND ADMINISTER A CHOICE EXPERIMENT SURVEY INTENDED TO MEASURE PREFERENCES FOR VARIOUS ATTRIBUTES OF FARM AND OPEN SPACE AND ALLOW PREFERENCES TO VARY BY SOCIOECONOMIC GROUP. USING A SUITE OF PROPERTY VALUE MODELS, WE WILL QUANTIFY HOW THE BENEFITS CREATED THROUGH FARM AND OPEN SPACE CONSERVATION ACTIONS ARE DISTRIBUTED AMONG SOCIOECONOMIC GROUPS. WE WILL CONDUCT IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS OF NGO LEADERS AND MARGINALIZED FARMERS AND FARM WORKERS TO EVALUATE BARRIERS TO ENTRY AND KEYS TO SUCCESS FOR DISADVANTAGED GROUPS. WE AIM TO INCREASE THE KNOWLEDGE OF DISTRIBUTIONAL CONSEQUENCES OF LAND PRESERVATION. DEPENDING ON RESULTS, LAND CONSERVATION POLICY MAY NEED TO ACCOUNT FOR OR RECTIFY UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF BENEFITS THAT DOES NOT FAVOR DISADVANTAGED GROUPS.