Mariposa, California
Sierra Sun Times file photo
Important changes will ease administrative burden on local governments
October 20, 2021 - SACRAMENTO -- In the spirit of reinforcing California's natural resource conservation efforts, a longstanging State program that keeps millions of acres in agricultural use or open space has been streamlined by legislation just signed by Governor Newsom.
"By improving efficiency, cost savings, and data collection and freeing up resources, SB 574 allows us to work more effectively with local jurisdictions to continue conserving some of the state’s most important agricultural lands," said California Department of Conservation (DOC) Director David Shabazian.
The California Land Conservation Act of 1965, often called the Williamson Act, is credited with preventing leapfrog development and promoting orderly growth in rural California. By reducing property taxes on lands enrolled in the program, it also helps farmers’ bottom line. Between 13 million and 15 million acres of farmland and open space are enrolled in the program, which is overseen by the DOC.
County participation in the Land Conservation Act program is voluntary, and 52 of California's 58 counties are enrolled. SB 574, authored by Senator John Laird and Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, helps ensure the long-term viability of the program at a time when many counties face budget and staffing challenges.
"Counties that utilize the Williamson Act demonstrate a significant commitment to supporting agriculture and land conservation. SB 574 provides incentive to continue their participation in the program," Shabazian added. "This bill strengthens local control while at the same time reducing workload. It strengthens efforts to collect meaningful land-use data that will be used to further support conservation efforts. It also allows our department to spend less time on administration and more time supporting local planning efforts through training and assistance."
Current law puts several administrative burdens on counties that elect to participate in the Williamson Act. But under SB 574, much of that paperwork is eliminated and replaced with county reports containing Geographic Information System (GIS) data. This will allow DOC to provide a powerful new source for Williamson Act data to assist land-use planning statewide and strengthen the department’s ability to monitor the Act's impact on agricultural and open-space land.
DOC plans to conduct outreach with all 58 counties to help local governments understand the changes and provide training for county staff.
The California Land Conservation Act/Williamson Act was enacted in response to the increasing pressure to develop irreplaceable agricultural land as California's population and demand for housing skyrocketed after World War II. The Act allows local governments and property owners to create contracts restricting land use to agricultural or open space us for a minimum of 10 years. Landowners receive a partial property tax in exchange for agreeing not to develop their property.
Source: CA. DOC
