The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:

(a) In Santa Clara County, open-space preservation and creation of a greenbelt are immediate high priorities needed to counter the continuing and serious conversion of these lands to urban uses, to preserve the quality of life in the county, and to encourage agricultural activities.

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(b) In order to deal in an expeditious manner with the current serious loss of these properties, the county needs to develop and implement a local funding program involving properties occupied for urban purposes which give rise to the need for open-space preservation that goes significantly beyond current existing funding that is not adequate to resolve these losses.

(c) It is in the public interest to create the Santa Clara Valley Open-Space Authority so that local open-space preservation and greenbelting decisions can be implemented in a timely manner to provide for the acquisition and maintenance of these properties.

(d) All persons owning developed parcels enjoy the privilege of using, and benefit from, the availability of open space.

(Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 99, Sec. 3. (SB 422) Effective January 1, 2016.)