Welcome to the County of Ventura Planning Division

LCA Program

The California Land Conservation Act (LCA) Program, also known as the “Williamson Act,” is a voluntary land conservation program adopted by the California Legislature in 1965 and administered by the County of Ventura.

Land Conservation Act (LCA) Program

On January 26, 2010, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to continue the County's Land Conservation Act (LCA) program for the 2010 LCA cycle. Click here to view the Board letter. You may also view a video of the presentation and Board's discussion by clicking on the "Live Broadcast & Video Archives" link at www.ventura.org.

To help preserve the limited and diminishing supply of agricultural land in the County;
To encourage production of food, fiber, and ornamental crops and commodities for local, regional, State, national and international markets;
To discourage premature conversion of agricultural land to nonagricultural land uses; and
To help preserve and promote commercial agricultural industry and the direct and indirect effects on the countywide and State economy.

How the Program Works

At the heart of the LCA Program is a contract between the County and qualifying landowners that restricts contracted land to agricultural uses for either 10 years (LCA Contract) or 20 years (Farmland Security Zone Act, “FSZA"). In exchange for the land-use restriction, the contracting landowner receives preferential property tax treatment.

Ojai Valley Oranges The contract renews automatically annually unless the nonrenewal process is initiated by either party to the contract. Under nonrenewal, the contract term is not renewed annually, but “winds down” over the remaining 9 years of the contract term with taxes incrementally rising to the full, unrestricted, rate. Once the contract expires, the land is no longer restricted to agricultural uses. Cancellation of the contract is also available to the landowner in extremely limited circumstances.
To partially compensate for the loss of property taxes from enrollment in LCA contracts, the State reimburses participating jurisdictions in a “subvention” payment based upon the amount of acreage and type of land under contract.

LCA contract application deadlines are as follows:

New LCA or FSZA contracts or Nonrenewal of a Portion of the Contract:

Annually, first Friday in June

Nonrewal of an Entire Contract:

Annually, October 1 (if Saturday or Sunday, then the following Monday)

Resources

If, after you have reviewed the information available on-line as indicated below, you have questions regarding your particular property, wish to request a contract application, or need information regarding other LCA Program specifics:

Contact: Andrea Ozdy LCA Program Planner- 805/654-2453