Subdivision 1. Citation.
Sections 473H.02 to 473H.17 may be cited as the "Metropolitan Agricultural Preserves Act."
Subd. 2. Policy; purpose.
It is the policy of the state to encourage the use and improvement of its agricultural lands for the production of food and other agricultural products. It is the purpose of sections 473H.02 to 473H.17 to provide an orderly means by which lands in the metropolitan area designated for long-term agricultural use through the local and regional planning processes will be taxed in an equitable manner reflecting the long-term singular use of the property, protected from unreasonably restrictive local and state regulation of normal farm practices, protected from indiscriminate and disruptive taking of farmlands through eminent domain actions, protected from the imposition of unnecessary special assessments, and given such additional protection and benefits as are needed to maintain viable productive farm operations in the metropolitan area.