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Summary of Agricultural Land Use

Land, Hoe Map Legend
Soil, Conservation and Access
Conserved Properties Agricultural Soils

I
n 2006, the Martha’s Vineyard Commis-
sion (MVC) appointed a community-led steerin
committee and charged them with the creation
Primary Capability Classes I and
Forever Protected These lands are
Vineyard owned by a conservation agency or the II* This grouping is defined by the US Dept.
Sound State or Federal Government and cannot be of Ag. as land that is best suited to producing

Ta s d
Pon
of a long-term visioning plan for the Island. This Vineyard Oak Bluffs
developed. Land use is determined by the food, feed, forage, fiber, & oilseed crops.

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Haven Harbor
community process has led to a document called Harbor land manager.

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Secondary Capability Classes III
the Island Plan. (www.islandplan.org).
Conservation Restriction (CR) and IV This grouping of secondary soils
The creators of the Island Plan have taken a

nd
This is very similar in nature to the APR was included by the MVC after receiving

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hard look at current land use on the Island. To il- (below). These lands cannot be developed or feedback from local farmers who felt that it

on
go
luminate some of their findings, Edible Vineyard further developed and the ownership could is also possible to have successful farming on

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asked GIS Coordinator, Chris Seidel, at the MVC, be anyone. The CR can also apply to just a these soils in the land capability classes of III
portion of a parcel. Land use is dependent on and IV on the Vineyard. Note: This group of
to put together this map showing data on land avail-
the wording of the specific CR and what the Secondary ag. soil is not a USDA Classifica-
ability and land use that has been gathered by the

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tion. It is a local thing.

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use restrictions are for the property.

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MVC in collaboration with Island Grown Initiative

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Nantucket

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and local farmers. Sound Agriculture Preservation Re- Cleared Fields (on agricultural

ry

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nta
This map highlights three important categories striction (APR) These lands cannot be soil) The Cleared Fields classification was

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of land use: 1. land that is currently being used for developed or further developed. They could digitized from a 2005 aerial photo and veri-

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Oak Bluffs be owned by anyone (i.e. a conservation fied by local farmers and residents.
agriculture; 2. land that might be suitable for crop
Edgar town group or a private resident). It is typical for
farming because of soil qualities; and 3. lands that Farms The Farms classification was digi-
an APR to apply only to a subsection of a FOOD
are available for farming, because they are ‘Con- property. For example, the total parcel could tized from a 2005 aerial photo. The locations
HAY
served Properties’ (see legend at right). We chose to be 30 acres, but the APR may only apply to 15 were verified by local farmers and members
HORSES of the Island Grown Initiative. Food is red;
display areas that are not only suitable for farming, of the 30 acres. The portion of land that has
Edgartown Cape the APR must be used for farming. hay is pink; horse is violet.

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but where farming might actually be possible, due
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Harbor
Poge
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to a lack of land use conflicts. ilm

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*agricultural soils capability
bu
ar
k Agriculture Chapter 61A Properties
ry are identified from the Town’s Assessor re- classes are from the 1986 Dukes County
Map designed by Chris Seidel and Lauren Carelli. cords by the property’s ‘use code.’ The date Soil Survey performed by the US Dept. of
of this data varies by town. Massachusetts Ag. Soil Conservation Service (in coopera-
General Laws Chapter 61A “offers significant tion with the Mass. Ag. Experiment Station).
local tax benefits to property owners willing Only those soils not within the State Forest
to make a long term commitment to farming.” or in developed areas are displayed. ‘De-
veloped area’ is land within 100 yards of a

West Ti s b u r y
However, Chapter 61A is not a permanent

Ed g a r tow n
status. For more information, contact the building and includes the runway area within
Property Tax Bureau at 617-626-2300. the Airport property. Each detailed soil
classification gets a ‘land capability classi-
Katama Bay
Edgartown fication’ (classes range I to VIII) assignment
Tisbury Great Pond which indicates the soil’s suitability for field
Great Pond
crops, one being the best.

N 1 .5 0 2

Kilometers

1 .5 0 1 the data provided are for planning purposes only. It is not adequate for boundary determination or
Menemsha
Pond
Miles
regulatory interpretation. The MVC, and/or Edible Vineyard cannot be responsible for how these data are used
or interpreted by the end user.
Atlantic Ocean
The Editors would like to especially thank Chris Seidel for her patience, GIS skills and the ability to explain com-
Aq u i n n a h
Chilmark

plex topics, simply. Without her insight, this map would not have been possible.
summary of Agricultural land use
Squibnocket
Pond
on Martha’s Vineyard, 2009