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APPLICATION OF IMPORTANT FARMLAND INVENTORY <br />ryj The major objective of the nationwide' Important Farmlands Inventory is <br />to assess the quantity, quality, location and distribution of lands <br />having the potential to meet current and future needs of our nation, <br />the states and local communities. <br />Our nation is blessed with millions of acres of high quality soils and <br />favorable climatic conditions that produce food and fiber in excess of <br />our nations needs. Rapid improvement in soil and crop management <br />practices have created a situation which may appear on the surface <br />that concern for perserving good farmland would not be justified. <br />However, there are many land use changes occurring which are eroding <br />our agricultural production capability -- but occurring in subtle <br />ways. For example, leap frog subdivision development into primarily <br />high food and fiber producing agricultural areas may not remove a <br />large amount of land from production, but conflicts which arise such <br />as bad odors, restricted aerial spraying of crops, difficulty for <br />agricultural service industry to safely deliver fertilizer, seed, <br />etc., all contribute to a demise in agricultural production activity <br />-- the result being that agricultural services go out of business or <br />move elsewhere. Thus, the producer is left without efficient and <br />economical services -- the end result being a change in nature of <br />agricultural production or going out of business. Conflicts, <br />! unforeseen by most persons in initial planning land conversions, in <br />the long term, result in rather dramatic impacts on a viable <br />agricultural economy. <br />The issue of agricultural land quality is complex and dynamic. <br />Factors such as quality and quantity of irrigation water, soils, <br />adaptability of crops, diversity in types of agriculture and <br />accessibility to markets, as well as other considerations play an <br />important role in maintaining a viable agricultural enterprise. The <br />information provided in this publication and on the Important <br />Farmland Maps does not address all of these factors. However, it is a <br />necessary step in evaluating the agricultural production capability of <br />a county in terns of kinds, extent and distribution of the <br />agricultural lands. <br />A rapidly growing population and expanding energy development has <br />increased the conversion of agricultural land in Colorado. The trend <br />wi.11 most likely continue in the future. The information provided by <br />the Important Farmland Inventory will be used by planners at all <br />levels to assess the rate, amount, and kinds of land conversion taking <br />place. The inventory is useful in determining the impact of extending <br />urban communities into surrounding agricultural lands and in <br />evaluating the impact of losses of irrigation water which often <br />accompanies urban expansion. <br />Various techniques for retaining agricultural lands are in use by <br />different states. Although these may vary in their ability to retain <br />1 land suitable for production, they all should utilize some method to' <br />evaluate the quality of the land they are attempting to preserve. <br />i <br />Attachment 2.04.9 -5 -4 <br />