(A) Intent. The California Land Conservation Act of 1965 (Cal. Gov’t Code §§ 51200 et seq.; the “Act”) authorized counties to establish agricultural preserves. The purposes of the Act are to maintain the agricultural economy of the state and to prevent premature and unnecessary conversion of land from agricultural uses. The Board of Supervisors of the county finds it to be in the public interest to assist in the maintenance of the state’s agricultural economy and to avoid the conversion of land from agricultural uses by establishing agricultural preserves by entering into contracts with landowners (LCA contracts) as authorized by the Act. The Act authorizes counties to establish the procedures for initiating, filing and processing requests for establishment of agricultural preserves. The Board intends to implement the act by adopting this article.
(B) Definition of an “agricultural preserve”.
AGRICULTURAL PRESERVE. An area devoted either to agricultural use or as specified herein, a use compatible to agriculture. Once an agricultural preserve is created, its value is assessed as provided in the Act.
(C) Board approval required. No person shall establish a new agricultural preserve, nor alter the physical boundaries of an existing agricultural preserve, nor cancel an existing LCA contract without the approval of the Board pursuant to this article. No person shall perform any activity on an agricultural preserve which is incompatible with the uses authorized by this article.
(1966 Code, § 18A-1) (Ord. 582, § 2(part))