{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/10.1-1700.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/10.1-1700.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/10.1-1700.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/10.1-1700.html"}],"law_id":59427,"edition_id":1,"section_id":59427,"structure_id":15576,"section_number":"10.1-1700","catch_line":"Definitions","history":"1966, c. 461, \u00a7 10-156; 1974, c. 348; 1986, c. 360; 1988, c. 891; 1997, c. 130; 2000, cc. 181, 724, 747; 2011, cc. 85, 159.","full_text":"As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Open-space easement” means a nonpossessory interest of a public body in real property, whether easement appurtenant or in gross, acquired through gift, purchase, devise, or bequest imposing limitations or affirmative obligations, the purposes of which include retaining or protecting natural or open-space values of real property, assuring its availability for agricultural, forestal, recreational, or open-space use, protecting natural resources, maintaining or enhancing air or water quality, or preserving the historical, architectural or archaeological aspects of real property.\n\t\t“Open-space land” means any land which is provided or preserved for (i) park or recreational purposes, (ii) conservation of land or other natural resources, (iii) historic or scenic purposes, (iv) assisting in the shaping of the character, direction, and timing of community development, (v) wetlands as defined in \u00a7 28.2-1300, or (vi) agricultural and forestal production.\n\t\t“Public body” means any state agency having authority to acquire land for a public use, or any county or municipality, any park authority, any public recreational facilities authority, any soil and water conservation district, any community development authority formed pursuant to Article 6 (\u00a7 15.2-5152 et seq.) of Chapter 51 of Title 15.2, or the Virginia Recreational Facilities Authority.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":217776,"text":"As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Open-space easement” means a nonpossessory interest of a public body in real property, whether easement appurtenant or in gross, acquired through gift, purchase, devise, or bequest imposing limitations or affirmative obligations, the purposes of which include retaining or protecting natural or open-space values of real property, assuring its availability for agricultural, forestal, recreational, or open-space use, protecting natural resources, maintaining or enhancing air or water quality, or preserving the historical, architectural or archaeological aspects of real property.\n\t\t“Open-space land” means any land which is provided or preserved for (i) park or recreational purposes, (ii) conservation of land or other natural resources, (iii) historic or scenic purposes, (iv) assisting in the shaping of the character, direction, and timing of community development, (v) wetlands as defined in \u00a7 28.2-1300, or (vi) agricultural and forestal production.\n\t\t“Public body” means any state agency having authority to acquire land for a public use, or any county or municipality, any park authority, any public recreational facilities authority, any soil and water conservation district, any community development authority formed pursuant to Article 6 (\u00a7 15.2-5152 et seq.) of Chapter 51 of Title 15.2, or the Virginia Recreational Facilities Authority.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15576,"edition_id":1,"name":"Open-Space Land Act","identifier":"17","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12741,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:56:29","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:56:29","permalink":{"id":146645,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15576,"identifier":"17","token":"10.1\/II\/17","url":"\/10.1\/II\/17\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12741,"edition_id":1,"name":"Activities Administered by Other Entities","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12740,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":144833,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12741,"identifier":"II","token":"10.1\/II","url":"\/10.1\/II\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12740,"edition_id":1,"name":"Conservation","identifier":"10.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":143313,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12740,"identifier":"10.1","token":"10.1","url":"\/10.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":59427,"structure_id":15576,"section_number":"10.1-1700","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/10.1-1700\/","token":"10.1\/II\/17\/10.1-1700","metadata":false},{"id":66772,"structure_id":15576,"section_number":"10.1-1701","catch_line":"Authority of public bodies to acquire or designate property for use as open-space land","url":"\/10.1-1701\/","token":"10.1\/II\/17\/10.1-1701","metadata":false},{"id":86738,"structure_id":15576,"section_number":"10.1-1702","catch_line":"Further powers of public bodies","url":"\/10.1-1702\/","token":"10.1\/II\/17\/10.1-1702","metadata":false},{"id":82902,"structure_id":15576,"section_number":"10.1-1703","catch_line":"Acquisition of title subject to reservation of farming or timber rights; acquisition of easements, etc.; property to be made available for farming and timber uses","url":"\/10.1-1703\/","token":"10.1\/II\/17\/10.1-1703","metadata":false},{"id":69359,"structure_id":15576,"section_number":"10.1-1704","catch_line":"Diversion of property from open-space land use; conveyance or lease of open-space land","url":"\/10.1-1704\/","token":"10.1\/II\/17\/10.1-1704","metadata":false},{"id":61318,"structure_id":15576,"section_number":"10.1-1705","catch_line":"Chapter controlling over other laws; powers supplemental","url":"\/10.1-1705\/","token":"10.1\/II\/17\/10.1-1705","metadata":false},{"id":60053,"structure_id":15576,"section_number":"10.1-1705.1","catch_line":"Construction","url":"\/10.1-1705.1\/","token":"10.1\/II\/17\/10.1-1705.1","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":66772,"structure_id":15576,"section_number":"10.1-1701","catch_line":"Authority of public bodies to acquire or designate property for use as open-space land","url":"\/10.1-1701\/","token":"10.1\/II\/17\/10.1-1701","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/10.1-1700\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1966. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 461 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1966 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 6 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1974, chapter 348; in 1986, chapter 360; in 1988, chapter 891; in 1997, chapter 130<\/a>; in 2000, chapters 181<\/a>, 724<\/a>, and 747<\/a>; in 2011, chapters 85<\/a> and 159<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":64435,"section_number":"10.1-1009","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/10.1-1009\/"},{"id":83678,"section_number":"10.1-1011","catch_line":"Taxation","order_by":null,"url":"\/10.1-1011\/"},{"id":86514,"section_number":"10.1-1020","catch_line":"Virginia Land Conservation Fund; purposes of Foundation","order_by":null,"url":"\/10.1-1020\/"},{"id":72763,"section_number":"10.1-1119.5","catch_line":"Reporting requirements","order_by":null,"url":"\/10.1-1119.5\/"},{"id":59464,"section_number":"10.1-1801.1","catch_line":"Open-Space Lands Preservation Trust Fund","order_by":null,"url":"\/10.1-1801.1\/"},{"id":61524,"section_number":"10.1-2202.2","catch_line":"Preservation Easement Fund established; uses","order_by":null,"url":"\/10.1-2202.2\/"},{"id":78102,"section_number":"10.1-2202.4","catch_line":"Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund established; eligibility; uses","order_by":null,"url":"\/10.1-2202.4\/"},{"id":79249,"section_number":"10.1-2202.5","catch_line":"Virginia Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Historic Preservation Fund; established","order_by":null,"url":"\/10.1-2202.5\/"},{"id":74667,"section_number":"15.2-2286.1","catch_line":"Provisions for clustering of single-family dwellings so as to preserve open space","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-2286.1\/"},{"id":72495,"section_number":"15.2-2403","catch_line":"Powers of service districts","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-2403\/"},{"id":72392,"section_number":"15.2-5158","catch_line":"Additional powers of community development authorities","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-5158\/"},{"id":75383,"section_number":"2.2-1149","catch_line":"Department to review proposed acquisitions of real property; approval by the Governor; exceptions","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-1149\/"},{"id":87501,"section_number":"58.1-3205","catch_line":"Assessment of real property where interest less than fee is held by public body; exemption of interest of public body from taxation","order_by":null,"url":"\/58.1-3205\/"},{"id":76719,"section_number":"58.1-512","catch_line":"Land preservation tax credits for individuals and corporations","order_by":null,"url":"\/58.1-512\/"},{"id":54847,"section_number":"64.2-108","catch_line":"Power granted to personal representatives and trustees to donate conservation or open-space easements","order_by":null,"url":"\/64.2-108\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":85282,"section_number":"15.2-5152","catch_line":"Localities may consider petitions for creation of authority","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-5152\/"},{"id":62122,"section_number":"28.2-1300","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/28.2-1300\/"}],"permalink":{"id":146647,"object_type":"law","relational_id":59427,"identifier":"10.1-1700","token":"10.1\/II\/17\/10.1-1700","url":"\/10.1-1700\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/10.1-1700\/","token":"10.1\/II\/17\/10.1-1700","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 10.1-1700","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Open-space easement<\/span>” means a nonpossessory interest of a public body<\/span> in real property, whether easement appurtenant or in gross, acquired through gift, purchase, devise, or bequest imposing limitations or affirmative obligations, the purposes of which include retaining or protecting natural or open-space values of real property, assuring its availability for agricultural, forestal, recreational, or open-space use, protecting natural resources, maintaining or enhancing air or water quality, or preserving the historical, architectural or archaeological aspects of real property.\n\t\t“Open-space land<\/span>” means any land which is provided or preserved for (i) park or recreational purposes, (ii) conservation of land or other natural resources, (iii) historic or scenic purposes, (iv) assisting in the shaping of the character, direction, and timing of community development, (v) wetlands as defined in \u00a7 28.2-1300<\/a>, or (vi) agricultural and forestal production.\n\t\t“Public body<\/span>” means any state agency having authority to acquire land for a public use, or any county or municipality, any park authority, any public recreational facilities authority, any soil and water conservation district, any community development authority formed pursuant to Article 6 (\u00a7 15.2-5152<\/a> et seq.) of Chapter 51 of Title 15.2, or the Virginia Recreational Facilities Authority.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS (\u00a7 10.1-1700)\n\nAs used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:\n\t\t“Open-space easement” means a nonpossessory interest of a public\nbody in real property, whether easement appurtenant or in gross, acquired\nthrough gift, purchase, devise, or bequest imposing limitations or affirmative\nobligations, the purposes of which include retaining or protecting natural or\nopen-space values of real property, assuring its availability for agricultural,\nforestal, recreational, or open-space use, protecting natural resources,\nmaintaining or enhancing air or water quality, or preserving the historical,\narchitectural or archaeological aspects of real property.\n\t\t“Open-space land” means any land which is provided or preserved\nfor (i) park or recreational purposes, (ii) conservation of land or other\nnatural resources, (iii) historic or scenic purposes, (iv) assisting in the\nshaping of the character, direction, and timing of community development, (v)\nwetlands as defined in \u00a7 28.2-1300, or (vi) agricultural and forestal\nproduction.\n\t\t“Public body” means any state agency having authority to acquire\nland for a public use, or any county or municipality, any park authority, any\npublic recreational facilities authority, any soil and water conservation\ndistrict, any community development authority formed pursuant to Article 6 (\u00a7\n15.2-5152 et seq.) of Chapter 51 of Title 15.2, or the Virginia Recreational\nFacilities Authority.\n\nHISTORY: 1966, c. 461, \u00a7 10-156; 1974, c. 348; 1986, c. 360; 1988, c. 891;\n1997, c. 130; 2000, cc. 181, 724, 747; 2011, cc. 85, 159.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}