Officially known as the "Land Conservation Act of 1965". It is the premier land conservation program and farm land protection program in California, since 1965.

Nearly 16 million of the state's 30 million acres of farm land are currently in the program. In the Imperial County, we have about 100,003 acres out of the total 420,000 acres now in the program through 314 contracts.

Definition
The ACT creates an arrangement (contract) whereby private landowners voluntarily restrict their land to agricultural and compatible open space uses under a rolling ten year contract. In return parcels are assessed for property tax purpose at a rate consistent with their actual use, rather then potential market value.

Benefits
*To the land owner there is a 20% to 75% reduction in property liability annually
*To the county there is an increase in general fund revenue amounting to about $5.00 per acre per year
*Dept. of Conservation reported that without the Williamson Act, one in three farmers or ranchers would no longer own their property