§ 3.2-205. Characteristics to be considered in evaluating impacts on farm andforest lands.
A. In preparing environmental impact reports in accordance with § 3.2-204,state agencies shall consider the impact of the major state project on allfarm and forest lands that:
1. Have soil classified as capability class I, II, III, or IV;
2. Have an exceptional combination of physical characteristics for theproduction of food, feed, fiber, forest products, forage, oilseed, and otheragricultural crops with minimum inputs of fuel, fertilizer, pesticides, andlabor, and without intolerable soil erosion;
3. Are valuable for production of specific high-value food and fiber crops,such as fruits, vegetables, and nursery crops and have a special combinationof soil quality, location, growing season, and moisture supply needed toeconomically produce sustained high quality or high yields of such crops whentreated and managed according to acceptable farming methods;
4. Are of statewide or local importance for the production of food, feed,fiber, forest products, forage, or oilseed crops;
5. Have been recognized under a state program such as the Clean Water FarmAward or the Century Farm Program;
6. Are part of an agricultural or forestal district or are participating in ause value assessment and taxation program for real estate devoted toagricultural, horticultural, or forest use in accordance with the provisionsof Article 4 (§ 58.1-3229 et seq.) of Chapter 32 of Title 58.1; or
7. Make a significant contribution to the local economy or the ruralcharacter of the area where the land is located.
B. The governing body of each locality, with the cooperation of the U.S.Department of Agriculture, may designate the important farmlands within itsjurisdiction. In designating important farmlands the governing body shalldemonstrate that adequate provision has been made for nonagricultural useswithin its jurisdiction.
C. As used in this chapter, "farmland" includes all land defined as follows:
"Important farmland," other than prime or unique farmland, is land that isof statewide or local importance for the production of food, feed, fiber,forage, nursery, oilseed, or other agricultural crops, as determined by theappropriate state agency or local government agency, and that the U.S.Department of Agriculture determines should be considered as farmland for thepurposes of this chapter;
"Prime farmland" is land that has the best combination of physical andchemical characteristics for producing food, feed, fiber, forage, oilseed,nursery, and other agricultural crops with minimum inputs of fuel,fertilizer, pesticides, and labor, and without intolerable soil erosion.Prime farmland includes land that possesses the above characteristics but isbeing used currently to produce livestock and timber. It does not includeland already in or committed to urban development or water storage; and
"Unique farmland" is land other than prime farmland that is used forproduction of specific high-value food and fiber crops, as determined by theU.S. Department of Agriculture. It has the special combination of soilquality, location, growing season, and moisture supply needed to economicallyproduce sustained high quality or high yields of specific crops when treatedand managed according to acceptable farming methods.
(1981, c. 635, § 3.1-18.5; 1982, c. 417; 2000, cc. 22, 778; 2003, c. 384;2008, c. 860.)
§ 3.2-205. Characteristics to be considered in evaluating impacts on farm andforest lands.
A. In preparing environmental impact reports in accordance with § 3.2-204,state agencies shall consider the impact of the major state project on allfarm and forest lands that:
1. Have soil classified as capability class I, II, III, or IV;
2. Have an exceptional combination of physical characteristics for theproduction of food, feed, fiber, forest products, forage, oilseed, and otheragricultural crops with minimum inputs of fuel, fertilizer, pesticides, andlabor, and without intolerable soil erosion;
3. Are valuable for production of specific high-value food and fiber crops,such as fruits, vegetables, and nursery crops and have a special combinationof soil quality, location, growing season, and moisture supply needed toeconomically produce sustained high quality or high yields of such crops whentreated and managed according to acceptable farming methods;
4. Are of statewide or local importance for the production of food, feed,fiber, forest products, forage, or oilseed crops;
5. Have been recognized under a state program such as the Clean Water FarmAward or the Century Farm Program;
6. Are part of an agricultural or forestal district or are participating in ause value assessment and taxation program for real estate devoted toagricultural, horticultural, or forest use in accordance with the provisionsof Article 4 (§ 58.1-3229 et seq.) of Chapter 32 of Title 58.1; or
7. Make a significant contribution to the local economy or the ruralcharacter of the area where the land is located.
B. The governing body of each locality, with the cooperation of the U.S.Department of Agriculture, may designate the important farmlands within itsjurisdiction. In designating important farmlands the governing body shalldemonstrate that adequate provision has been made for nonagricultural useswithin its jurisdiction.
C. As used in this chapter, "farmland" includes all land defined as follows:
"Important farmland," other than prime or unique farmland, is land that isof statewide or local importance for the production of food, feed, fiber,forage, nursery, oilseed, or other agricultural crops, as determined by theappropriate state agency or local government agency, and that the U.S.Department of Agriculture determines should be considered as farmland for thepurposes of this chapter;
"Prime farmland" is land that has the best combination of physical andchemical characteristics for producing food, feed, fiber, forage, oilseed,nursery, and other agricultural crops with minimum inputs of fuel,fertilizer, pesticides, and labor, and without intolerable soil erosion.Prime farmland includes land that possesses the above characteristics but isbeing used currently to produce livestock and timber. It does not includeland already in or committed to urban development or water storage; and
"Unique farmland" is land other than prime farmland that is used forproduction of specific high-value food and fiber crops, as determined by theU.S. Department of Agriculture. It has the special combination of soilquality, location, growing season, and moisture supply needed to economicallyproduce sustained high quality or high yields of specific crops when treatedand managed according to acceptable farming methods.
(1981, c. 635, § 3.1-18.5; 1982, c. 417; 2000, cc. 22, 778; 2003, c. 384;2008, c. 860.)
§ 3.2-205. Characteristics to be considered in evaluating impacts on farm andforest lands.
A. In preparing environmental impact reports in accordance with § 3.2-204,state agencies shall consider the impact of the major state project on allfarm and forest lands that:
1. Have soil classified as capability class I, II, III, or IV;
2. Have an exceptional combination of physical characteristics for theproduction of food, feed, fiber, forest products, forage, oilseed, and otheragricultural crops with minimum inputs of fuel, fertilizer, pesticides, andlabor, and without intolerable soil erosion;
3. Are valuable for production of specific high-value food and fiber crops,such as fruits, vegetables, and nursery crops and have a special combinationof soil quality, location, growing season, and moisture supply needed toeconomically produce sustained high quality or high yields of such crops whentreated and managed according to acceptable farming methods;
4. Are of statewide or local importance for the production of food, feed,fiber, forest products, forage, or oilseed crops;
5. Have been recognized under a state program such as the Clean Water FarmAward or the Century Farm Program;
6. Are part of an agricultural or forestal district or are participating in ause value assessment and taxation program for real estate devoted toagricultural, horticultural, or forest use in accordance with the provisionsof Article 4 (§ 58.1-3229 et seq.) of Chapter 32 of Title 58.1; or
7. Make a significant contribution to the local economy or the ruralcharacter of the area where the land is located.
B. The governing body of each locality, with the cooperation of the U.S.Department of Agriculture, may designate the important farmlands within itsjurisdiction. In designating important farmlands the governing body shalldemonstrate that adequate provision has been made for nonagricultural useswithin its jurisdiction.
C. As used in this chapter, "farmland" includes all land defined as follows:
"Important farmland," other than prime or unique farmland, is land that isof statewide or local importance for the production of food, feed, fiber,forage, nursery, oilseed, or other agricultural crops, as determined by theappropriate state agency or local government agency, and that the U.S.Department of Agriculture determines should be considered as farmland for thepurposes of this chapter;
"Prime farmland" is land that has the best combination of physical andchemical characteristics for producing food, feed, fiber, forage, oilseed,nursery, and other agricultural crops with minimum inputs of fuel,fertilizer, pesticides, and labor, and without intolerable soil erosion.Prime farmland includes land that possesses the above characteristics but isbeing used currently to produce livestock and timber. It does not includeland already in or committed to urban development or water storage; and
"Unique farmland" is land other than prime farmland that is used forproduction of specific high-value food and fiber crops, as determined by theU.S. Department of Agriculture. It has the special combination of soilquality, location, growing season, and moisture supply needed to economicallyproduce sustained high quality or high yields of specific crops when treatedand managed according to acceptable farming methods.
(1981, c. 635, § 3.1-18.5; 1982, c. 417; 2000, cc. 22, 778; 2003, c. 384;2008, c. 860.)
