{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/15.2-4401.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/15.2-4401.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/15.2-4401.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/15.2-4401.html"}],"law_id":86184,"edition_id":1,"section_id":86184,"structure_id":15369,"section_number":"15.2-4401","catch_line":"Declaration of policy findings and purpose","history":"1982, c. 374, \u00a7 15.1-1513.2; 1997, c. 587.","full_text":"It is state policy to encourage localities of the Commonwealth to conserve and protect and to encourage the development and improvement of their agricultural and forestal lands for the production of food and other agricultural and forestal products. It is also state policy to encourage localities of the Commonwealth to conserve and protect agricultural and forestal lands as valued natural and ecological resources which provide essential open spaces for clean air sheds, watershed protection, wildlife habitat, aesthetic quality and other environmental purposes. It is the purpose of this chapter to provide a means by which localities may protect and enhance agricultural and forestal lands of local significance as a viable segment of the local economy and as an important economic and environmental resource.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":308733,"text":"It is state policy to encourage localities of the Commonwealth to conserve and protect and to encourage the development and improvement of their agricultural and forestal lands for the production of food and other agricultural and forestal products. It is also state policy to encourage localities of the Commonwealth to conserve and protect agricultural and forestal lands as valued natural and ecological resources which provide essential open spaces for clean air sheds, watershed protection, wildlife habitat, aesthetic quality and other environmental purposes. It is the purpose of this chapter to provide a means by which localities may protect and enhance agricultural and forestal lands of local significance as a viable segment of the local economy and as an important economic and environmental resource.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15369,"edition_id":1,"name":"Local Agricultural and Forestal Districts Act","identifier":"44","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12721,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:54:23","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:54:23","permalink":{"id":158059,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15369,"identifier":"44","token":"15.2\/IV\/44","url":"\/15.2\/IV\/44\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12721,"edition_id":1,"name":"Other Governmental Entities","identifier":"IV","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12720,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":157897,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12721,"identifier":"IV","token":"15.2\/IV","url":"\/15.2\/IV\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12720,"edition_id":1,"name":"Counties, Cities and Towns","identifier":"15.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":151279,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12720,"identifier":"15.2","token":"15.2","url":"\/15.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":59556,"structure_id":15369,"section_number":"15.2-4400","catch_line":"Short title","url":"\/15.2-4400\/","token":"15.2\/IV\/44\/15.2-4400","metadata":false},{"id":86184,"structure_id":15369,"section_number":"15.2-4401","catch_line":"Declaration of policy findings and purpose","url":"\/15.2-4401\/","token":"15.2\/IV\/44\/15.2-4401","metadata":false},{"id":77287,"structure_id":15369,"section_number":"15.2-4402","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/15.2-4402\/","token":"15.2\/IV\/44\/15.2-4402","metadata":false},{"id":58527,"structure_id":15369,"section_number":"15.2-4403","catch_line":"Power of participating localities to enact ordinances; application form and fees","url":"\/15.2-4403\/","token":"15.2\/IV\/44\/15.2-4403","metadata":false},{"id":72483,"structure_id":15369,"section_number":"15.2-4404","catch_line":"Agricultural and forestal districts advisory committee","url":"\/15.2-4404\/","token":"15.2\/IV\/44\/15.2-4404","metadata":false},{"id":61691,"structure_id":15369,"section_number":"15.2-4405","catch_line":"Creation of districts of local significance","url":"\/15.2-4405\/","token":"15.2\/IV\/44\/15.2-4405","metadata":false},{"id":64047,"structure_id":15369,"section_number":"15.2-4406","catch_line":"Provisions of district ordinances for districts of local significance","url":"\/15.2-4406\/","token":"15.2\/IV\/44\/15.2-4406","metadata":false},{"id":65311,"structure_id":15369,"section_number":"15.2-4407","catch_line":"Withdrawal of land from district of local significance","url":"\/15.2-4407\/","token":"15.2\/IV\/44\/15.2-4407","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":59556,"structure_id":15369,"section_number":"15.2-4400","catch_line":"Short title","url":"\/15.2-4400\/","token":"15.2\/IV\/44\/15.2-4400","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":77287,"structure_id":15369,"section_number":"15.2-4402","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/15.2-4402\/","token":"15.2\/IV\/44\/15.2-4402","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-4401\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1982. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 374 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 1982 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. 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. That modification is as follows: in 1997, chapter 587<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":158065,"object_type":"law","relational_id":86184,"identifier":"15.2-4401","token":"15.2\/IV\/44\/15.2-4401","url":"\/15.2-4401\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-4401\/","token":"15.2\/IV\/44\/15.2-4401","dublin_core":{"Title":"Declaration of policy findings and purpose","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-4401","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

It is state policy to encourage localities of the Commonwealth to conserve and protect and to encourage the development and improvement of their agricultural and forestal lands for the production of food and other agricultural and forestal products. It is also state policy to encourage localities of the Commonwealth to conserve and protect agricultural and forestal lands as valued natural and ecological resources which provide essential open spaces for clean air sheds, watershed protection, wildlife habitat, aesthetic quality and other environmental purposes. It is the purpose of this chapter to provide a means by which localities may protect and enhance agricultural and forestal lands of local significance as a viable segment of the local economy and as an important economic and environmental resource.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDECLARATION OF POLICY FINDINGS AND PURPOSE (\u00a7 15.2-4401)\n\nIt is state policy to encourage localities of the Commonwealth to conserve and\nprotect and to encourage the development and improvement of their agricultural\nand forestal lands for the production of food and other agricultural and\nforestal products. It is also state policy to encourage localities of the\nCommonwealth to conserve and protect agricultural and forestal lands as valued\nnatural and ecological resources which provide essential open spaces for clean\nair sheds, watershed protection, wildlife habitat, aesthetic quality and other\nenvironmental purposes. It is the purpose of this chapter to provide a means by\nwhich localities may protect and enhance agricultural and forestal lands of\nlocal significance as a viable segment of the local economy and as an important\neconomic and environmental resource.\n\nHISTORY: 1982, c. 374, \u00a7 15.1-1513.2; 1997, c. 587.","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}}