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Williamson Act Terminated Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger last week used his line-item veto power to terminate the California Land Conservation Act, more commonly known as the Williamson Act. Since 1965, California landowners have voluntarily enrolled about 16 million acres in these contracts, agreeing to restrict land uses to agriculture or related open space. They're then taxed on the agricultural value of the land rather than its fair market value, and the state reimburses each county what it loses in uncollected taxes. According to the Department of Conservation, one in three farmers surveyed claim they wouldn't be able to keep their properties without Williamson Act tax savings. TellMarin County supervisors you hope they'll continue the Williamson Act on their own, despite the actions of the governor.