Organizations and municipalities interested in the conservation of land suited for agricultural production and open space should know that the Code of Federal Regulations includes a section about important farmlands which states: The Nation needs to know the extent and location of the best land for producing food, feed, fiber, forage, and oilseed crops.

The regulation directs the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to identify and inventory prime and unique farmland and specifies that farmlands that are of statewide and local importance for producing these crops also need to be identified. These designations are applicable to USDA and other conservation program eligibility.