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3 <br /> This issue as well as other basic questions form <br /> the basis for the discussion questions listed <br /> below. <br /> 7 :50 3. 3 QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION <br /> The system being adapted for local use by the <br /> Advisory Board in ranking farmland for PDR purposes <br /> is the SCS Land Evaluation and Site Assessment <br /> (LESA) system. <br /> The LESA system evaluates and ranks farmland on <br /> specific criteria, some based on soil survey data <br /> and some based on locally defined site <br /> characteristics. The criteria considered to date <br /> by the Advisory Board are listed below. <br /> Cropland Productivity <br /> Forest Land Productivity <br /> Site Assessment Factors <br /> Farm Characteristics <br /> Size of Farm <br /> Percent of Site Farmed <br /> Conservation Plan Implementation <br /> Use Compatibility <br /> Percent of Area ( 1/2 mile) in Farm Use <br /> Land Use Adjacent to Site <br /> Distance to Urban Area <br /> Natural & Cultural Resources <br /> Natural Areas/Wildlife Habitats <br /> Wildlife Corridors <br /> Scenic Roads & Viewsheds <br /> Historic Sites & Structures <br /> Wetlands <br /> Consideration of the ranking criteria as well as <br /> methods of implementing a PDR program have led to <br /> the formulation of a series of basic questions. <br /> 1. What types of agricultural lands should be <br /> Preserved? <br /> The two extremes of description discussed at <br /> length by the Advisory Board are: <br /> a. Well managed, productive farm and forest <br /> lands with excellent soils and natural <br /> features regardless of location; and <br /> b. Attractive farms and pasture lands on scenic <br /> roadsides within or near urban areas. <br /> In trying to deal with these extremes, the <br /> Advisory Board has considered several options. <br />