The acquisition program is administered pursuant to the Board’s original enabling legislation, "The Wildlife Conservation Law of 1947" (Fish and Game Section 1300, et seq.) and land acquisition is a component of all Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) programs.
The WCB acquires real property or rights in real property on behalf of the Department of Fish and Game and can also grant funds to other governmental entities or nonprofit organizations to acquire real property or rights in real property.

All acquisitions are made on a "willing seller" basis pursuant to a fair market value appraisal as approved by the Department of General Services (DGS). The acquisition activities are carried out in conjunction with the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG), with the DFG recommending priorities for proposed acquisitions. Following the DFG site evaluations, recommendations are submitted to the WCB for consideration for funding. Information on the evaluation process is available through any of the DFG regional offices listed below.

For information on the Land Acquisition process, contact the Department of Fish and Game's regional office closest to the proposed project area.