Land use-value assessment is found in some form in all 50 states in the United States, suggesting support for the preservation of this land and for the reduction of tax burden on owners of land used in producing food, fiber, and timber. In 1974, Virginia passed legislation to enable localities to provided tax relief to land owners in order to preserve agricultural, horticulture, forestry and/or open space lands with the explicit purpose that the public would benefit from its preservation.