Agenda - 08-10-1994 - Laserfiche WebLink

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2.2 RANKING AGRICULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE As noted in the introductory part of Section 2, the development of the LESA system by the Soil Conservation Service was a response to the lack of analytical tools for local officials on which to base land use decisions regarding agriculture. A central question which arises, however, is what does agriculture encompass? Cropland, forest land, or both? Land evaluation procedures for use in LESA have been developed for both cropland and forest land. In evaluating land for crop production, soils may be rated by one or more of the following criteria land capability, important farmland classification, and soil productivity. In evaluating land for forest production, soils may be rated by one or more of the following criteria soil productivity, indicator tree species, steepness of slope, and other soil limitations. The site assessment part of LEA A is designed to rate those factors other than soils and overall productivity of the land. Site assessment involves the human influence on the land, such as proximity of the land to urban centers, parcel size, and type of land use adjacent to the site. The LESA system proposed for Orange County incorporates all of these features and reflects the definition of agriculture contained in the North Carolina General Statutes [G.S.106-581.1]: The cultivation of soil for the production of crops, including but not limited to fruits, vegetables, flowers, and ornamental plants, the planting and production of trees and timber, and the raising of livestock, for individual and public use, consumption, and marketing. CROPLAND SUITABILITY The first step in the preparation and use of an agricultural T,ESA system is to determine the quality of land for cropland use. To accomplish this, soils must be arrayed in order of importance in agricultural groups, and the value of each group relative to another must be calculated. Defining Agricultural Groups In designing a system for evaluating cropland,soils must be rated and placed in agricultural groups ranging from the best to the worst suited for cropland use. The soils of most areas can be arranged in 10 groups, with agricultural group 1 containing the best soils available, and groups 2-10 having successively lower values. Three land evaluation methods are used in developing the groups of soils: land capability classificatio::, soil productivity index, and important farmland class. Ideally, each of the 10 groups should contain 10 percent of the total land of the county. However, groups containing 5-15 percent are practical. In some cases, groups may contain more or less than 5-15 percent, and fewer or more than 10 groups may be needed. The intent is to provide enough groups to adequately differentiate significant soil classes. Land Capability Classification: Capability classes and subclasses show the suitability of soils for most kinds of field crops.The soils are classed according to their limitations when used for field crops, the risk of damage when used, and the manner in which they respond to treatment. In the capability system, soils are grouped at two basic levels: capability class and subclass. Capability classes, the broadest groups, are designated by Roman numerals I through VIII. The numerals 2.2.1