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4 <br />The bid procedure was initiated by a farmer submitting a <br />sealed bid, indicating the price per acre that he would accept for <br />his development rights; e.g., the difference between the market <br />value of the property and its value for agricultural use. In <br />programs using this procedure, development rights were usually <br />acquired on those farms which had the lowest per acre value. The <br />advantage to the procedure was that costs could be reduced over <br />other programs by as much as 15 percent and larger amounts of land <br />could be acquired. The major disadvantage was that localities <br />usually ended up acquiring development rights on unproductive land <br />characterized by floodplains, steep slopes, and other limitations. <br />Such features accounted for the lower per acre cost. <br />The LESA system refers to the Land Evaluation and Site <br />Assessment system developed by the Soil Conservation Service in the <br />mid- 19801s. The two -part system for evaluating farmland has been <br />used extensively and focuses on the quality or productivity of a <br />given site; e.g., land evaluation, and its continued economic <br />viability; e.g., site assessment. The Soil Conservation Service has <br />produced a guidebook for use in preparing a local LESA system, and, <br />upon completion, the system can be used to assign priorities in <br />acquiring development rights. The major advantage to such is system <br />is that the most productive and economically viable farmlands are <br />preserved for future generations. Other benefits include the use <br />of the system in identifying important farmlands and potential <br />agricultural districts, and preparing and updating comprehensive <br />land use plans. <br />Given these benefits, the Agricultural Districts Advisory <br />Board elected to develop a proposal in two stages. First, a report <br />would be prepared which proposed a LESA system for Orange County. A <br />second report would then be prepared which presented the "nuts and <br />bolts" of a purchase of development rights program, focusing <br />specifically on administration and funding. This report thus <br />represents the first step in achieving the goal established by the <br />Hoard of Commissioners. <br />