Title Page G
The Farmland Policy Protection Act (FPPA) is intended to minimize the unnecessary and 
irreversible conversion of farmland to nonagricultural uses. It assures that—to the extent 
possible—Federal programs and funded activities are administered to be compatible with 
state, local government units, and private programs and policies to protect farmland.  
For the purpose of the FPPA, farmland includes prime farmland (prime soil 
characteristics), unique farmland (high value specialty crops), and land of statewide or 
local importance. Farmland subject to FPPA requirements does not have to be currently 
used for cropland. It can be forest land, pastureland, cropland, or other land, but not water 
or urban built-up land.

If your project is located outside incorporated city limits on land that is currently farmed 
or on land that could be farmed, then you will need to determine if prime or unique 
farmland is present.


G.-1	Determining if there is prime or unique farmland in your project area	

To determine if there is prime or unique farmland at the project site, reference a soil 
survey for your area published by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) 
(http://oip.usda.gov/scripts/ndisapi.dll/oip_agency/statemap) or contact NRCS directly 
for assistance. Locate the project site on the soil survey maps and note which soil types 
are present, and, with the assistance of the local NRCS office, identify and obtain a list of 
the prime and unique farmlands in your county. NRCS will also have a list of those 
specialty crops that qualify for unique farmland.  If the soil types at your project area are 
not on the list and if the project does not affect land containing specialty crops or crops 
that have a special state significance, then answer “no” to Section G, Question 1 of the 
PDM Environmental and Historic Preservation Questions.



G.-2	How to provide relevant and helpful support documentation


Whether you answered “yes” or “no” to the Section G, Question 1 in the PDM 
Environmental and Historic Preservation Questions, it is important to provide a short 
narrative summarizing your determination. If the project is located outside of 
incorporated city limits, indicate on a 1:24,000 scale USGS topographic map [link to 
FPPA map] the footprint of the project area (or note the Section of the application where 
this information is located), and if the land at the site is currently used for agriculture or 
could be used for agriculture. If the project site is regulated under the FPPA, also indicate 
the soil type and whether or not prime or unique farmland is present.

        G.-2 [link to FPPA map] (same as F.-1 [link to CZMA map])

Topographic maps can be ordered from the USGS directly (http://topomaps.usgs.gov/), or 
can be obtained free of charge online from the United States Department of Agriculture 
(http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/).