The Legislature finds that development in the State has reduced the number of acres in agricultural use by 90,000 acres during the last two years; that the depletion of agricultural land has forced the closure of agricultural support services, thus putting an additional burden on the farmers in the State; and that there is a need for leasable farmland to allow those farmers who do not own land to continue to farm. The Legislature further finds that the State owns over 5,600 parcels of property consisting of approximately 480,000 acres, but that it does not know which of these lands may be suitable for agricultural production. The Legislature therefore declares that putting otherwise dormant land to productive agricultural use would serve the best interest of all citizens of this State by insuring the numerous social, economic, and environmental benefits which accrue from agricultural production.

L.1989, c.79, s.1.