SECTIONS 31150-31156 - California Statutes

PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE

SECTION 31150-31156

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.