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Over the past 50 years the city has spread over former Prime Farmland and Farmland of Statewide Importance. replacing farmland with housing and businesses. See Figure VII-7 for a map of existing (year 2005) agricultural lands in Pleasanton. 'I1,is figure shows Prime Farmland. Farmland of Statewide Importance. Unique Fannland. grazing land. developed land. and other land. Fi~>1.lfe VII-7 also delineates lands under If/illiaHlson Ael contract. 'I1lC 1965 Califo",ia Land Consef7'tllion Ad - commonly referred to as the If/il/ialllJolI Ad - enables local eovemments to contract with private landowners to restrict specific lands to al'ricultural or related open-space use. In return. landowners receive property tax asscSSlncnts which arc Inuch lower than nonnal in that the taxes of If/il/iaHlJon Ad lands arc based upon farming and open space uses as opposed to full market value. Via the 1971 Open Sf"" SlIbvcnlioll Ad. the State provides an annual payment of forgone property tax revenues to local !'overnments. A If/il/ialllJolI Ad contract runs with the land. and will still be in effect if land ownership chan!,'es. The landowner may cancel a If/il/ian/son Ad property through a nonrenewal process that takes at least nine years and is the method most landowners use. The landowner may also petition to cancel a contract in a complicated and expensive process. The following arc United States Department of Agriculture definitions: Prime Farmland has the best combination of physical and chemical characteristics for producing food feed. foral'e. fiber. and oilseed crops. and is also available for these uses. Prime Farmland has the soil quality growing season. and moisture supply needed to produce sustained high yields of crops when treated and managed according to acceptable farming metl~ds. l.and mUM_have been recell!!}> used for irril'ated agricultural production to be considered Prime Farmland. Farmland of Statewide Importance is similar to Prime Farmland but with mlllor shortcomings. such as greater slopes or less ability to store soil moisture. Land must have been recently used for irrigated agricultural production to be considered Farmland of Statewide Importance. Unique Farmland consists of lesser quality soils than those in either Prime Farmland or Farmland of Statewide Importance. This farmland has a special combination of uni'Iue characteristics necded to economically produce sustained high yields of a specific crop. such as grapes in vineyards. This land is usually irrigated. but may include non-irrigated lands. Grazing land is land on which existing vegetation is suited for livestock grazing and may be uscd for dry-land farming. 'Ihe minimum mapping unit is 40 acres. Developed land is occupied by stmctures with a buildine density of at least one unit to 1.5 acres. Examples include residential. industrial commercial. and institutional uses and cemeteries. golf courses and sewage and water structures. Con os E1crnml, cc C182')06, ",Jlin.: VII -24