The board shall develop and adopt guidelines and criteria for awarding grants that achieve the greatest lasting conservation of oak woodlands. The board shall develop these guidelines in consultation with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Department of Food and Agriculture, the University of California’s Integrated Hardwood Range Management Program, conservation groups, and farming and ranching associations. As it applies to the award of grants for the implementation of this article, the board criteria shall specify that easement acquisitions that are the most cost-effective in comparison to the actual resource value of the easement shall be given priority.