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Mr. Sullivan <br /> Page 4 <br /> enjoyed by all similarly situated Williamson Act lands in San <br /> Joaquin County. This impact, of course, undermines the Act's <br /> goal of shielding farms from taxes based on nonagricultural <br /> value. <br /> In addition, the following comments are offered concerning issues <br /> that should be addressed in the DEIR. <br /> The NOP states that loss of agricultural land is not significant. <br /> However, the NOP understates the loss by including only the 50 <br /> acres slated for residences. The project will also convert 70 <br /> acres for the golf course and attendant structures, 10 acres for <br /> roads, and 20 acres for the equestrian center including attendant <br /> structures. Thus, the total loss of existing grazing lands would <br /> appear to be 150 acres, rather than the 50 acres indicated in the <br /> NOP. The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) should provide <br /> consistent information on the number of acres of agricultural <br /> land to be developed, the potential agricultural value of the <br /> site, the impacts of farmland conversion, and possible mitigation <br /> actions. <br /> Specifically, we recommend that the DEIR contain the following <br /> information to ensure the adequate assessment of impacts in these <br /> areas. <br /> 0 The agricultural character of the project area, including: <br /> Types and relative yields of crops grown in the area. <br /> Agricultural potential of the area's soils, as defined <br /> by <br /> the United States Department of Agriculture's Land <br /> Capability Classification System. <br /> • The impacts on Williamson Act contracted land, including the <br /> following data. <br /> - A map which identifies the location of agricultural <br /> preserves, the number of acres and type of land in each <br /> preserve (i.e. , prime/non-prime) <br /> - The location of Williamson Act contracts on lands in <br /> the surrounding area. , <br /> - A discussion of the effects that development of <br /> Williamson Act contracted land would have on nearby <br /> properties also under contract. <br /> • Identify farmland conversion impacts, such as: <br /> The type, amount and location of farmland conversion <br /> that would result from implementation of the specific <br /> plan. <br /> The impacts on current and future agricultural <br />