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Administrative Draft Environmental Impact Report <br /> Gill Medical Center Project <br /> site to the northern property boundary,where it connects with a perimeter farm road that runs along the <br /> northern, eastern, and western site boundaries. Finally, the southern half of the existing Woodbridge <br /> Irrigation District canal is located onsite along the northern site boundary, between West Lane and the <br /> northern most point of the Phase 2 development area.The Project sit has historically been used for <br /> agriculture and grazing. <br /> 4.4.2 Regulatory Setting <br /> 4.4.2.1 Federal <br /> Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) <br /> The Agricultural Act of 2014 established the ACEP,which consolidated previously separate federal <br /> farmland conservation programs. Under the ACEP, USDA's National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) <br /> provides financial and technical assistance to help conserve agricultural lands and wetlands and their <br /> related benefits. Under the Agricultural Land Easements component, NRCS helps Indian tribes, state and <br /> local governments, and non-governmental organizations protect working agricultural lands and limit non- <br /> agricultural uses of the land. <br /> 4.4.2.2 State <br /> Department of Conservation <br /> The California Department of Conservation, Division of Land Resource Protection (DOC) manages the <br /> Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program (FMMP), which identifies and maps significant farmland and <br /> monitors the conversion of the state's farmland to and from agricultural use.The map series identifies <br /> seven land classifications (discussed below) and uses a minimum mapping unit size of 10 acres. The <br /> program also produces a biannual report on the amount of land converted from agricultural to non- <br /> agricultural use.The program maintains an inventory of state agricultural land and updates its "Important <br /> Farmland Series Maps" every two years.The FMMP designates Prime Farmland, Farmland of Statewide <br /> Importance, Unique Farmland, and Farmland of Local Importance as "Important Farmland." The <br /> classifications of farmland as Prime Farmland, Unique Farmland, and Farmland of Statewide Importance <br /> are based on the suitability of soils for agricultural production, as determined by a soil survey conducted <br /> by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The DOC also manages the California Important <br /> Farmland Finder, an interactive website, which can be used to identify the farmland classification of a <br /> specific area (DOC 2021). <br /> Prime Farmland <br /> Prime Farmland is farmland with the best combination of physical and chemical features to sustain long- <br /> term agricultural production. This land has the soil quality, growing season, and moisture supply needed <br /> to produce sustained high yields. Land must have been used for irrigated agricultural production at some <br /> time during the four years prior to the mapping date. <br /> Agricultural and Forestry Resources 4.4-2 October 2021 <br />