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INTRODUCTION <br />Defining the LESA System <br />The Land Evaluation and Site Assessment (LESA) system is a point -based <br />approach that is generally used for rating the relative value of agricultural land resources. In <br />basic terms, a given LESA model is created by defining and measuring two separate sets <br />of factors. The first set, Land Evaluation, includes factors that measure the inherent soil - <br />based qualities of land as they relate to agricultural suitability. The second set, Site <br />Assessment, includes factors that are intended to measure social, economic, and <br />geographic attributes that also contribute to the overall value of agricultural land. While this <br />dual rating approach is common to all LESA models, the individual land evaluation and site <br />assessment factors that are ultimately utilized and measured can vary considerably, and <br />can be selected to meet the local or regional needs and conditions for which a LESA <br />model is being designed to address. In short, the LESA methodology lends itself well to <br />adaptation and customization in individual states and localities. Considerable additional <br />information on LESA may be found in A Decade with LESA - the Evolution of Land <br />Evaluation and Site <br />Assessment (8). <br />Background on LESA Nationwide <br />In 1981, the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), known then <br />as the Soil Conservation Service, released a new system that was designed to provide <br />objective ratings of the agricultural suitability of land compared to demands for <br />nonagricultural uses of lands. The system became known as Land Evaluation and Site <br />Assessment, or LESA. Soon after it was designed, LESA was adopted as a procedural <br />tool at the federal level for identifying and addressing the potential adverse effects of <br />federal programs (e.g., funding of highway construction) on farmland protection. The <br />Farmland Protection Policy Act of 1981 (5) spells out requirements to ensure that federal <br />programs, to the extent practical, are compatible with state, local, and private programs <br />and policies to protect farmland, and calls for the use of LESA to aid in this analysis. <br />Typically, staff of the NRCS is involved in performing LESA scoring analyses of individual <br />projects that involve other agencies of the federal government. <br />Since its inception, the LESA approach has received substantial attention from <br />state and local governments as well. Nationwide, over two hundred jurisdictions have <br />developed local LESA methodologies (7). One of the attractive features of the LESA <br />approach is that it is well suited to being modified to reflect regional and local conditions. <br />Typical local applications of LESA include assisting in decision making concerning the <br />sitting of projects, changes in zoning, and spheres of influence determinations. LESA is <br />