{
  "node_id": "us-farmland-protection-policy-act",
  "title": "US Farmland Protection Policy Act (7 USC ch 73): Minimizing Federal Conversion of Farmland",
  "domain": "Agriculture & Agritech",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "last_updated": "2026-05-27",
  "bluf": "The Farmland Protection Policy Act (7 U.S.C. ch. 73, sections 4201 to 4209) is a United States statute whose purpose is to minimize the extent to which federal programs contribute to the unnecessary and irreversible conversion of farmland to nonagricultural uses, administered by the Secretary of Agriculture through the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Section 4201 sets out the general provisions and purpose and defines farmland to include prime farmland, unique farmland, and farmland of statewide or local importance. Section 4202 directs the Secretary to develop criteria for identifying the effects of federal programs on the conversion of farmland and requires federal agencies, to the extent practicable, to use those criteria to identify and take into account the adverse effects of their programs on the preservation of farmland and to consider alternative actions that could lessen those effects. Section 4203 provides for review of existing federal policies and procedures, section 4204 for technical assistance, section 4205 for farmland resource information, and section 4206 for grants and contracts. Section 4207 imposes a reporting requirement to Congress, and sections 4208 and 4209 set limitations and provide that the chapter creates no private right of action and does not authorize federal regulation of land use. The Act is the principal federal policy instrument for protecting agricultural land from conversion driven by federal programs.",
  "paywall": {
    "status": "LOCKED",
    "unlock_cost_usd": "0.01",
    "skyfire_id": "41779894-ece2-4163-9761-b3b1b76e19b0"
  },
  "crosswalks": {
    "_available_keys": [
      "industry_mapping",
      "related_frameworks"
    ],
    "_note": "Full crosswalk values included in vault response"
  },
  "primary_citations_count": 8
}