2015 New York Laws
AGM - Agriculture & Markets
Article 25-AAAA - (Agriculture & Markets) FARMLAND VIABILITY PROGRAM
327 - Legislative intent.

  327.  Legislative  intent. The legislature hereby finds, determines
  and declares that the New York agriculture industry  has  a  substantial
  impact  on  the  overall  economic  health  and well-being of the state.
  Furthermore, state farms preserve approximately  7.7  million  acres  of
  open  space  as  working  landscapes,  thus  contributing to the overall
  quality of the state's environment. Preserving  farmland  as  a  working
  agricultural landscape provides open space benefits for all residents of
  the  state,  and  maintains  the  land as a natural habitat for animals.
  Properly  managed  farmland  has  been  demonstrated  to  be  the   best
  environmental  usage  of  land for watershed protection, so it is in the
  best  interest  of  the  state  to  maintain  agricultural   land.   The
  legislature  hereby  declares  that  in  order  to  ensure the continued
  economic viability of the agricultural industry,  and  to  preserve  the
  environmental  benefits  of  agricultural land use, the department shall
  create a farmland viability program.