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San Joaquin County Community Environmental Setting, Impacts,and Mitigation Measures _ Development Department Agricultural Resources,Land Use,and Planning (b) When distinct soil horizons are present, topsoil shall be salvaged and segregated by defined A,B,and C soil horizons. Upon reconstruction of the soil,the sequence of horizons shall have the A atop the B,the B atop the C,and the C atop graded overburden. — (c) Reclamation shall be deemed complete when productive capability of the affected land is equivalent to or exceeds,for two consecutive crop years, that of the premining condition or similar crop production in the area. — Productivity rates,based on reference areas described in the approved reclamation plan,shall be specified in the approved reclamation plan. The California Land Conservation Act of 1965 The California Land Conservation Act of 1965,commonly referred to as the Williamson Act, is the state's primary program for the conservation of private _ land in agricultural and open space use(California Government Code,Title 5, Division 1,Part 1, Chapter 7). It is a voluntary, locally administered program that offers reduced property taxes on lands which have enforceable restrictions _ on their use via contracts between individual landowners and local governments. The Williamson Act authorizes local governments to enter into these voluntary contracts with private landowners to restrict specific parcels of land to agricultural, open space,or compatible uses. In exchange, landowners receive property tax assessments that are based on the property's agricultural use value rather than its market value. To enter into a contract,the landowner must agree not to develop the land for at least 10 years. Once the contract is implemented, it — is automatically renewed each year for an additional 10-year period unless a termination action is initiated(Califomia Department of Conservation 2003). Local governments receive an annual subvention of forgone property tax — revenues from the state via the Open Space Subvention Act of 1971. Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program Classification _ The DOC FMMP prepares Important Farmland maps periodically for most of the state's agricultural areas based on information from Natural Resources Conservation Service (MRCS)soil survey maps, Land Inventory and Monitoring _ (LIM)criteria developed by NRCS, and land use information mapped by the California Department of Water Resources(DWR). These criteria generally are expressed as definitions that characterize the land's suitability for agricultural production,physical and chemical characteristics of the soil, and actual land use. Important Farmland maps generally are updated every 2 years. The Important Farmland mapping system incorporates eight mapping categories, five categories relating to farmlands and three categories associated with lands used for nonagricultural purposes. The five farmland mapping categories are summarized below. — ■ Prime Farmland: Lands with the combination of physical and chemical features best able to sustain long-term production of agricultural crops. The — land must be supported by a developed irrigation water supply that is dependable and of adequate quality during the growing season. It also must have been used for the production of irrigated crops at some time during the _ 4 years before mapping data were collected. DeSilva Gates Quarry Project _ Draft Environmental Impact Report 3.g-4 As%105M