Achievement

The Williamson Act enables California landowners to restrict some land parcels to agricultural or open space use. Landowners receive property tax assessments lower than market value, which enables them to continue ranching or farming, and protects the land from development. The state to offsets lost property tax revenues to local governments. Recently, the state has reduced funding to this program, and concern is growing that it may not be renewed.

Our 2009 cohort surveyed 700 ranchers on the benefits of the Williamson Act to ranch economies. Of 365 ranchers who returned surveys, 23% were likely to end ranch operations if they lost benefits from the Williamson Act. Because 43% of Williamson Act parcels lie in critical conservation habitat, land sold by ranchers for other uses may greatly reduce conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Students presented their results to lawmakers, ranchers and other state officials in a trainee-run forum; a manuscript is in preparation.