BILL NUMBER: ACR 170AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 2, 2010 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 14, 2010 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members Nielsen and Caballero ( Coauthors: Assembly Members Tom Berryhill, Chesbro, Conway, Fuller, Gaines, Galgiani, Gilmore, Hill, Huffman, Ma, Monning, and Yamada ) ( Coauthors: Senators Cox and Strickland ) MAY 28, 2010 Relative to the Williamson Act. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST ACR 170, as amended, Nielsen. Williamson Act. This measure would recognize the 45th Anniversary of the California Land Conservation Act of 1965, otherwise known as the Williamson Act, and would recognize the value to the state of agricultural land conservation contracts. Fiscal committee: no. WHEREAS, Assembly Bill 2117 by Assembly Member John Williamson was signed into law on July 16, 1965, by Governor Edmund G. "Pat" Brown; and WHEREAS, Assembly Bill 2117 created the California Land Conservation Act of 1965 that has become known nationwide as the Williamson Act; and WHEREAS, The Williamson Act has been California's most effective farm and ranch land preservation program, protecting over 16.5 million acres or nearly one-third of all privately owned land in California; and WHEREAS, The Williamson Act promotes food security by protecting the agricultural land base, encourages agricultural support industries and jobs, complements other efforts to curb sprawl while avoiding costly public facilities and support services to scattered residential subdivisions, and promotes environmental quality and resource values; and WHEREAS, The Williamson Act achieves these broad public policy goals with a cost-effective, incentive-based program that serves to protect the overall economy of the agricultural community that exceeds $100 billion and nearly half a million jobs generated from the $36.2 billion in farmgate value for the more than 400 California commodities produced; and WHEREAS, The abundance from our state's 81,500 farms and ranchesproducesrepresents nearly half of United States grown fruits, nuts, and vegetables , and would be significantly less without the land use protections of the Williamson Act; and WHEREAS, The Williamson Act has served to facilitate the intergenerational transfer of agricultural enterprises to young farmers and ranchers; and WHEREAS, The Williamson Act benefits the environment and quality of life in other important ways by preserving open-space and wildlife habitat and protecting watersheds; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That the Legislature of the State of California recognizes and celebrates the 45th Anniversary of the California Land Conservation Act of 1965; and be it further Resolved, That the State of California acknowledges and appreciates the partnership with cities and counties as well as the participating landowners who have made the Williamson Act the most effective farm and ranch land and open-space protection tool in the history of California; and be it further Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.