CHAPTER 4. Preservation of Agricultural Land [31150. - 31156.]

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC 4.

in effect

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 31150. Section 31150.

The conservancy may acquire fee title, development rights, easements, or other interests in land located in the coastal zone in order to prevent loss of agricultural land to other uses and to assemble agricultural lands into parcels of adequate size permitting continued agricultural production. The conservancy may also undertake improvements to and development of such lands where such action is required to meet the purposes of this section. The conservancy shall take all feasible action to return to private use or ownership, with appropriate use restrictions, all lands acquired for agricultural preservation under this division.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 31150.1. Section 31150.1.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the conservancy may enter into an option to acquire an interest in real property for an agricultural preservation project, when the Legislature appropriates funds for purposes of carrying out the objectives of this division. The total cost of the option may not exceed six hundred thousand dollars ($600,000).

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 31151. Section 31151.

In acquiring interest in agricultural lands, as provided in this division, the conservancy shall give the highest priority to urban fringe areas where the impact of urbanization on agricultural lands is greatest.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 31152. Section 31152.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this division to the contrary, the conservancy shall not act to acquire any interests in lands in the coastal zone for agricultural purposes unless the conservancy finds that both of the following conditions apply to the proposed acquisition: (a) The lands are specifically identified in a certified local coastal plan or program as agricultural lands, or, in the case of San Francisco Bay, the lands as so identified in the bay plan, the Suisun Marsh Protection Plan, or in any other local plan which the bay commission determines to be consistent with such plans. (b) There is no other reasonable means, including the use of police power, of assuring continuous use of such lands for agricultural purposes.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 31153. Section 31153.

If the conservancy is unable to purchase an interest in agricultural land which meets the provisions of Section 31152, the conservancy may request the State Public Works Board to acquire the interest under the power of eminent domain pursuant to Section 31105.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 31154. Section 31154.

The conservancy is authorized to lease lands acquired in accordance with the provisions of Section 31150. When such leases are made to private individuals or groups, the conservancy shall annually, upon appropriation of such amounts by the Legislature, transfer 24 percent of the gross income of such leases to the county in which such lands are situated. The county shall distribute any payment received by it pursuant to this section to itself, to each revenue district for which the county assesses and collects real property taxes or assessments, and to every other taxing agency within the county in which the property is situated. The amount distributable to the county and each such revenue district or other taxing agency shall be proportionate to the ratio which the amount of the taxes and assessments of each on similar real property similarly situated within that part of the county embracing the smallest in area of the revenue districts or other taxing agencies other than the county, levied for the fiscal year next preceding, bears to the combined amount of the taxes and assessments of all such districts and agencies, including the county, on such property levied for that year. The county auditor shall determine and certify the amounts distributable to the board of supervisors, which shall thereupon order the making of the distribution. Any money distributed pursuant to this section to any county, revenue district, or other taxing agency shall be deposited to the credit of the same fund as any taxes or assessments on any taxable similar real property similarly situated. Where a county receives a payment pursuant to this section in an amount of twenty-five dollars ($25) or less in respect to any parcel of leased property, all of such payment shall be distributed to the county for deposit in the county general fund.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 31155. Section 31155.

Proceeds from the sale or lease of lands acquired under the provisions of Section 31150 shall be deposited with the conservancy and, after transmission of any payments required by Section 31154, shall be available for expenditure when appropriated by the Legislature for the purpose of funding the programs specified in this division.

Cal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 31156. Section 31156.

The conservancy may award grants to public agencies and nonprofit organizations for the purpose of acquiring fee title, development rights, easements, or other interests in land located in the coastal zone in order to prevent loss of agricultural land to other uses and to assemble agricultural lands into parcels of adequate size permitting continued agricultural production. The conservancy may also award grants to public agencies and nonprofit organizations for the purpose of undertaking improvements to and development of these lands where that action is required to meet the purposes of this section. The expenditure of any of these funds shall be consistent with the provisions of this chapter.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026