In valuing land classified as agricultural, horticultural or forest land under Chapter 61 and 61A, the Board of Assessors must consider only those indicia of value that such land has for agricultural, horticultural or forest uses. The ranges of value are to be used in conjunction with the Assessors’ appraisal knowledge, judgment and experience as to agricultural, horticultural and forest land values. The FVAC’s adopted methodology should be considered in all local analyses. All values adopted outside the range recommended by the FVAC must be supported by a comprehensive study of local factors influencing value, together with a detailed description of the selected valuation models and resulting use value estimates. Any sales of farmland, income data or other appraisal information being considered by assessors should be limited to data specific to the crop or product being grown or produced.
The Massachusetts NRCS soils program is responsible for providing technical soil services—assisting government agencies and private citizens in understanding and applying soil information for the state of Massachusetts.
NRCS Soil Survey: NRCS has soil maps and data online for 95% of the nation’s counties.
