By Frances S. Dowd, Research Assistant, Agricultural and Applied Economics, Virginia Tech, Franklin A. Bruce Jr., and Gordon E. Groover
http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/AAEC/AAEC-39/AAEC-39.html
Virginia law allows for localities adopting a program of special assessments for agriculture, horticulture, forestry, and/or open space lands for their land to be taxed based on the value of the land in one of these four uses (use value) instead of its market value. This document provides answers to questions frequently asked by landowners, taxpayers, state and local governments, and nongovernmental agencies about how the use value assessment program is established by localities and administered. Detailed explanations and current use values can be found by accessing the website http://usevalue.agecon.vt.edu/.