Map of Prime Farmland (language only)

Item 228 #2h

Language

Page 245, after line 12, insert:

"F. The Virginia Cooperative Extension shall work to develop a map or repository of prime farmland and in doing so shall consult with relevant and necessary state agencies including the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Department of Forestry, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the Department of Energy. Such agencies shall provide assistance, including access to relevant data or information for purposes of development of a map or repository of prime farmland, to the Virginia Cooperative Extension upon request. The Virginia Cooperative Extension may enter into agreements with private nonprofit groups for additional data that would identify lands with conservation easements or agriculture potential, or lands that would be more suitable for development with solar energy collection devices or energy storage devices. The Virginia Cooperative Extension may work with a Phase I and Phase II utility to identify relevant distribution and transmission grid information to further assist localities in siting determinations regarding solar energy collection devices or energy storage devices. Such electric distribution and transmission grid information shall not be subject to the disclosure requirements of § 2.2-3700 et. seq. of the Code of Virginia. The Virginia Cooperative Extension shall report to the Governor and the General Assembly an initial report on the development of a map or repository on prime farmland, as required by this paragraph, on or before December 1, 2022. Such report shall include a recommendation for the appropriate permanent location for such map or repository, methods by which the map or repository will be available for public use, and an estimated initial and ongoing cost and process for maintaining the same. Such review by the Virginia Cooperative Extension and associated report shall be contingent upon grants of private or government funds designated for specified activities authorized pursuant to this paragraph. The initial map shall be made publicly available on or before the first day of the 2023 General Assembly Session."