{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/10.1-1703.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/10.1-1703.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/10.1-1703.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/10.1-1703.html"}],"law_id":82902,"edition_id":1,"section_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","history":"1966, c. 461, \u00a7 10-158; 1974, c. 259; 1981, c. 64; 1988, c. 891.","full_text":"Any public body is authorized to acquire (i) unrestricted fee simple title to tracts; (ii) fee simple title to such land subject to reservation of rights to use such lands for farming or to reservation of timber rights thereon; or (iii) easements in gross or such other interests in real estate of not less than five years’ duration as are designed to maintain the character of such land as open-space land. Any such interest may also be perpetual. Whenever practicable in the judgment of the public body, real property acquired pursuant to this chapter shall be made available for agricultural and timbering uses which are compatible with the purposes of this chapter.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":297144,"text":"Any public body is authorized to acquire (i) unrestricted fee simple title to tracts; (ii) fee simple title to such land subject to reservation of rights to use such lands for farming or to reservation of timber rights thereon; or (iii) easements in gross or such other interests in real estate of not less than five years’ duration as are designed to maintain the character of such land as open-space land. Any such interest may also be perpetual. Whenever practicable in the judgment of the public body, real property acquired pursuant to this chapter shall be made available for agricultural and timbering uses which are compatible with the purposes of this chapter.","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}],"previous_section":{"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},"next_section":{"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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/10.1-1703\/","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 3 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 259; in 1981, chapter 64; in 1988, chapter 891.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":146659,"object_type":"law","relational_id":82902,"identifier":"10.1-1703","token":"10.1\/II\/17\/10.1-1703","url":"\/10.1-1703\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/10.1-1703\/","token":"10.1\/II\/17\/10.1-1703","dublin_core":{"Title":"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","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 10.1-1703","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Any public body<\/span> is authorized to acquire (i) unrestricted fee simple title to tracts; (ii) fee simple title to such land subject to reservation of rights to use such lands for farming or to reservation of timber rights thereon; or (iii) easements in gross or such other interests in real estate of not less than five years’ duration as are designed to maintain the character of such land as open-space land<\/span>. Any such interest may also be perpetual. Whenever practicable in the judgment<\/span> of the public body<\/span>, real property acquired pursuant to this chapter shall be made available for agricultural and timbering uses which are compatible with the purposes of this chapter.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nACQUISITION OF TITLE SUBJECT TO RESERVATION OF FARMING OR TIMBER RIGHTS;\nACQUISITION OF EASEMENTS, ETC.; PROPERTY TO BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR FARMING AND\nTIMBER USES (\u00a7 10.1-1703)\n\nAny public body is authorized to acquire (i) unrestricted fee simple title to\ntracts; (ii) fee simple title to such land subject to reservation of rights to\nuse such lands for farming or to reservation of timber rights thereon; or (iii)\neasements in gross or such other interests in real estate of not less than five\nyears’ duration as are designed to maintain the character of such land as\nopen-space land. Any such interest may also be perpetual. Whenever practicable\nin the judgment of the public body, real property acquired pursuant to this\nchapter shall be made available for agricultural and timbering uses which are\ncompatible with the purposes of this chapter.\n\nHISTORY: 1966, c. 461, \u00a7 10-158; 1974, c. 259; 1981, c. 64; 1988, c. 891.","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}}