{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/10.1-1119.7.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/10.1-1119.7.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/10.1-1119.7.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/10.1-1119.7.html"}],"law_id":56585,"edition_id":1,"section_id":56585,"structure_id":12783,"section_number":"10.1-1119.7","catch_line":"Characteristics to be considered in evaluating impacts on farm and forest lands","history":"2024, cc. 10, 146.","full_text":"A\n\nIn preparing environmental impact reports in accordance with \u00a7 10.1-1119.6, state agencies shall consider the impact of the major state project on all farm and forest lands that:1\n\nHave soil classified as capability class I, II, III, or IV;2\n\nHave an exceptional combination of physical characteristics for the production of food, feed, fiber, forest products, forage, oilseed, and other agricultural crops with minimum inputs of fuel, fertilizer, pesticides, and labor, and without intolerable soil erosion;3\n\nAre valuable for production of specific high-value food and fiber crops, such as fruits, vegetables, and nursery crops and have a special combination of soil quality, location, growing season, and moisture supply needed to economically produce sustained high quality or high yields of such crops when treated and managed according to acceptable farming methods;4\n\nAre of statewide or local importance for the production of food, feed, fiber, forest products, forage, or oilseed crops;5\n\nHave been recognized under a state program such as the Clean Water Farm Award Program or the Century Farm Program or Century Forest Program;6\n\nAre part of an agricultural or forestal district or are participating in a use value assessment and taxation program for real estate devoted to agricultural, horticultural, or forest use in accordance with the provisions of Article 4 (§ 58.1-3229 et seq.) of Chapter 32 of Title 58.1; or7\n\nMake a significant contribution to the local economy or the rural character of the area where the land is located.B\n\nThe governing body of each locality, with the cooperation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, may designate the important farmlands within its jurisdiction. In designating important farmlands the governing body shall demonstrate that adequate provision has been made for nonagricultural uses within its jurisdiction.C\n\nAs used in this article, “farmland” includes all land defined as follows:\n\t\t\t“Important farmland,” other than prime or unique farmland, is land that is of statewide or local importance for the production of food, feed, fiber, forage, nursery, oilseed, or other agricultural crops, as determined by the appropriate state agency or local government agency, and that the U.S. Department of Agriculture determines should be considered as farmland for the purposes of this article;\n\t\t\t“Prime farmland” is land that has the best combination of physical and chemical 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 is being used currently to produce livestock and timber. It does not include land already in or committed to urban development or water storage; and\n\t\t\t“Unique farmland” is land other than prime farmland that is used for production of specific high-value food and fiber crops, as determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It has the special combination of soil quality, location, growing season, and moisture supply needed to economically produce sustained high quality or high yields of specific crops when treated and managed according to acceptable farming methods.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":207078,"text":"In preparing environmental impact reports in accordance with \u00a7 10.1-1119.6, state agencies shall consider the impact of the major state project on all farm and forest lands that:","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"A1"},"1":{"id":207079,"text":"Have soil classified as capability class I, II, III, or IV;","type":"section","prefixes":["A","1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"A1","prefix_anchor":"A1","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"A2"},"2":{"id":207080,"text":"Have an exceptional combination of physical characteristics for the production of food, feed, fiber, forest products, forage, oilseed, and other agricultural crops with minimum inputs of fuel, fertilizer, pesticides, and labor, and without intolerable soil erosion;","type":"section","prefixes":["A","2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"A2","prefix_anchor":"A2","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A1","next_prefix":"A3"},"3":{"id":207081,"text":"Are valuable for production of specific high-value food and fiber crops, such as fruits, vegetables, and nursery crops and have a special combination of soil quality, location, growing season, and moisture supply needed to economically produce sustained high quality or high yields of such crops when treated and managed according to acceptable farming methods;","type":"section","prefixes":["A","3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"A3","prefix_anchor":"A3","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A2","next_prefix":"A4"},"4":{"id":207082,"text":"Are of statewide or local importance for the production of food, feed, fiber, forest products, forage, or oilseed crops;","type":"section","prefixes":["A","4"],"prefix":"4","entire_prefix":"A4","prefix_anchor":"A4","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A3","next_prefix":"A5"},"5":{"id":207083,"text":"Have been recognized under a state program such as the Clean Water Farm Award Program or the Century Farm Program or Century Forest Program;","type":"section","prefixes":["A","5"],"prefix":"5","entire_prefix":"A5","prefix_anchor":"A5","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A4","next_prefix":"A6"},"6":{"id":207084,"text":"Are part of an agricultural or forestal district or are participating in a use value assessment and taxation program for real estate devoted to agricultural, horticultural, or forest use in accordance with the provisions of Article 4 (§ 58.1-3229 et seq.) of Chapter 32 of Title 58.1; or","type":"section","prefixes":["A","6"],"prefix":"6","entire_prefix":"A6","prefix_anchor":"A6","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A5","next_prefix":"A7"},"7":{"id":207085,"text":"Make a significant contribution to the local economy or the rural character of the area where the land is located.","type":"section","prefixes":["A","7"],"prefix":"7","entire_prefix":"A7","prefix_anchor":"A7","level":2,"prior_prefix":"A6","next_prefix":"B"},"8":{"id":207086,"text":"The governing body of each locality, with the cooperation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, may designate the important farmlands within its jurisdiction. In designating important farmlands the governing body shall demonstrate that adequate provision has been made for nonagricultural uses within its jurisdiction.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A7","next_prefix":"C"},"9":{"id":207087,"text":"As used in this article, “farmland” includes all land defined as follows:\n\t\t\t“Important farmland,” other than prime or unique farmland, is land that is of statewide or local importance for the production of food, feed, fiber, forage, nursery, oilseed, or other agricultural crops, as determined by the appropriate state agency or local government agency, and that the U.S. Department of Agriculture determines should be considered as farmland for the purposes of this article;\n\t\t\t“Prime farmland” is land that has the best combination of physical and chemical 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 is being used currently to produce livestock and timber. It does not include land already in or committed to urban development or water storage; and\n\t\t\t“Unique farmland” is land other than prime farmland that is used for production of specific high-value food and fiber crops, as determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It has the special combination of soil quality, location, growing season, and moisture supply needed to economically produce sustained high quality or high yields of specific crops when treated and managed according to acceptable farming methods.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":12783,"edition_id":1,"name":"Office of Working Lands Preservation","identifier":"2.1","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12782,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","permalink":{"id":145055,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12783,"identifier":"2.1","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/2.1","url":"\/10.1\/II\/11\/2.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12782,"edition_id":1,"name":"Forest Resources and the Department of Forestry","identifier":"11","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12741,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","permalink":{"id":144835,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12782,"identifier":"11","token":"10.1\/II\/11","url":"\/10.1\/II\/11\/","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":53962,"structure_id":12783,"section_number":"10.1-1119.2","catch_line":"Office of Working Lands Preservation established","url":"\/10.1-1119.2\/","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/2.1\/10.1-1119.2","metadata":false},{"id":60610,"structure_id":12783,"section_number":"10.1-1119.3","catch_line":"Powers and duties of the Office; Virginia Farmland and Forestland Preservation Fund","url":"\/10.1-1119.3\/","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/2.1\/10.1-1119.3","metadata":false},{"id":60345,"structure_id":12783,"section_number":"10.1-1119.4","catch_line":"Virginia Farm Link Program","url":"\/10.1-1119.4\/","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/2.1\/10.1-1119.4","metadata":false},{"id":72763,"structure_id":12783,"section_number":"10.1-1119.5","catch_line":"Reporting requirements","url":"\/10.1-1119.5\/","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/2.1\/10.1-1119.5","metadata":false},{"id":63374,"structure_id":12783,"section_number":"10.1-1119.6","catch_line":"Review of capital projects and availability of working lands","url":"\/10.1-1119.6\/","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/2.1\/10.1-1119.6","metadata":false},{"id":56585,"structure_id":12783,"section_number":"10.1-1119.7","catch_line":"Characteristics to be considered in evaluating impacts on farm and forest lands","url":"\/10.1-1119.7\/","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/2.1\/10.1-1119.7","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":63374,"structure_id":12783,"section_number":"10.1-1119.6","catch_line":"Review of capital projects and availability of working lands","url":"\/10.1-1119.6\/","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/2.1\/10.1-1119.6","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/10.1-1119.7\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2024. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapters 10<\/a> and 146<\/a> 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.<\/p>","references":[{"id":63374,"section_number":"10.1-1119.6","catch_line":"Review of capital projects and availability of working lands","order_by":null,"url":"\/10.1-1119.6\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":63374,"section_number":"10.1-1119.6","catch_line":"Review of capital projects and availability of working lands","order_by":null,"url":"\/10.1-1119.6\/"},{"id":56646,"section_number":"58.1-3229","catch_line":"Repealed","order_by":null,"url":"\/58.1-3229\/"}],"permalink":{"id":145077,"object_type":"law","relational_id":56585,"identifier":"10.1-1119.7","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/2.1\/10.1-1119.7","url":"\/10.1-1119.7\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/10.1-1119.7\/","token":"10.1\/II\/11\/2.1\/10.1-1119.7","dublin_core":{"Title":"Characteristics to be considered in evaluating impacts on farm and forest lands","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 10.1-1119.7","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> In preparing environmental impact reports in accordance with \u00a7 10.1-1119.6<\/a>, state agencies shall consider the impact of the major state project on all farm and forest lands that: <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> Have soil classified as capability class I, II, III, or IV; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> Have an exceptional combination of physical characteristics for the production of food, feed, fiber, forest products, forage, oilseed, and other agricultural crops with minimum inputs of fuel, fertilizer, pesticides, and labor, and without intolerable soil erosion; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> Are valuable for production of specific high-value food and fiber crops, such as fruits, vegetables, and nursery crops and have a special combination of soil quality, location, growing season, and moisture supply needed to economically produce sustained high quality or high yields of such crops when treated and managed according to acceptable farming methods; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

4.<\/span> Are of statewide or local importance for the production of food, feed, fiber, forest products, forage, or oilseed crops; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

5.<\/span> Have been recognized under a state program such as the Clean Water Farm Award Program or the Century Farm Program or Century Forest Program; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

6.<\/span> Are part of an agricultural or forestal district or are participating in a use value assessment and taxation program for real estate devoted to agricultural, horticultural, or forest use in accordance with the provisions of Article 4 (§ 58.1-3229<\/a> et seq.) of Chapter 32 of Title 58.1; or <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

7.<\/span> Make a significant contribution to the local economy or the rural character of the area where the land is located. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The governing body of each locality, with the cooperation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, may designate the important farmlands<\/span> within its jurisdiction<\/span>. In designating important farmlands<\/span> the governing body shall demonstrate that adequate provision has been made for nonagricultural uses within its jurisdiction<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> As used in this article, “farmland” includes all land defined as follows:\n\t\t\t“Important farmland,” other than prime or unique farmland, is land that is of statewide or local importance for the production of food, feed, fiber, forage, nursery, oilseed, or other agricultural crops, as determined by the appropriate state agency or local government agency, and that the U.S. Department of Agriculture determines should be considered as farmland for the purposes of this article;\n\t\t\t“Prime farmland<\/span>” is land that has the best combination of physical and chemical 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<\/span> includes land that possesses the above characteristics but is being used currently to produce livestock and timber. It does not include land already in or committed to urban development or water storage; and\n\t\t\t“Unique farmland” is land other than prime farmland<\/span> that is used for production of specific high-value food and fiber crops, as determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It has the special combination of soil quality, location, growing season, and moisture supply needed to economically produce sustained high quality or high yields of specific crops when treated and managed according to acceptable farming methods. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCHARACTERISTICS TO BE CONSIDERED IN EVALUATING IMPACTS ON FARM AND FOREST LANDS\n(\u00a7 10.1-1119.7)\n\nA. In preparing environmental impact reports in accordance with \u00a7 10.1-1119.6,\nstate agencies shall consider the impact of the major state project on all farm\nand forest lands that:\n\n 1. Have soil classified as capability class I, II, III, or IV;\n\n 2. Have an exceptional combination of physical characteristics for the\n production of food, feed, fiber, forest products, forage, oilseed, and other\n agricultural crops with minimum inputs of fuel, fertilizer, pesticides, and\n labor, and without intolerable soil erosion;\n\n 3. Are valuable for production of specific high-value food and fiber crops,\n such as fruits, vegetables, and nursery crops and have a special combination\n of soil quality, location, growing season, and moisture supply needed to\n economically produce sustained high quality or high yields of such crops when\n treated and managed according to acceptable farming methods;\n\n 4. Are of statewide or local importance for the production of food, feed,\n fiber, forest products, forage, or oilseed crops;\n\n 5. Have been recognized under a state program such as the Clean Water Farm\n Award Program or the Century Farm Program or Century Forest Program;\n\n 6. Are part of an agricultural or forestal district or are participating in a\n use value assessment and taxation program for real estate devoted to\n agricultural, horticultural, or forest use in accordance with the provisions\n of Article 4 (§ 58.1-3229 et seq.) of Chapter 32 of Title 58.1; or\n\n 7. Make a significant contribution to the local economy or the rural character\n of the area where the land is located.\n\nB. The governing body of each locality, with the cooperation of the U.S.\nDepartment of Agriculture, may designate the important farmlands within its\njurisdiction. In designating important farmlands the governing body shall\ndemonstrate that adequate provision has been made for nonagricultural uses\nwithin its jurisdiction.\n\nC. As used in this article, “farmland” includes all land defined as\nfollows:\n\t\t\t“Important farmland,” other than prime or unique farmland, is\nland that is of statewide or local importance for the production of food, feed,\nfiber, forage, nursery, oilseed, or other agricultural crops, as determined by\nthe appropriate state agency or local government agency, and that the U.S.\nDepartment of Agriculture determines should be considered as farmland for the\npurposes of this article;\n\t\t\t“Prime farmland” is land that has the best combination of\nphysical and chemical characteristics for producing food, feed, fiber, forage,\noilseed, nursery, and other agricultural crops with minimum inputs of fuel,\nfertilizer, pesticides, and labor, and without intolerable soil erosion. Prime\nfarmland includes land that possesses the above characteristics but is being\nused currently to produce livestock and timber. It does not include land already\nin or committed to urban development or water storage; and\n\t\t\t“Unique farmland” is land other than prime farmland that is used\nfor production of specific high-value food and fiber crops, as determined by the\nU.S. Department of Agriculture. It has the special combination of soil quality,\nlocation, growing season, and moisture supply needed to economically produce\nsustained high quality or high yields of specific crops when treated and managed\naccording to acceptable farming methods.\n\nHISTORY: 2024, cc. 10, 146.","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}}