I appreciate the input from the agricultural and forestry industries on HB206. It is of utmost importance that we protect our essential and resource conserving economic practices that our local communities have been built upon, as well as our vital and beautiful Virginia view sheds. Solar has proven itself that it does not work efficiently as a source of reliable power, while in the meantime destroying forests, farms, communities, waterways, and ecological complexes. I prefer that there be no mitigation allowed at all. This is an utterly ridiculous concept, robbing Peter to pay Paul. The solar industry should simply not be permitted to build on prime farming land and destroying carbon absorbing healthy soil in the process. Nor should ever a tree or forest that supplies so much life to this earth be allowed to be cut or razed in order to place a solar installation upon the land. According to UVA Weldon center's recent estimate, 130,000 Virginia acres have been destroyed by solar, and the majority of these installations are poor producers of electricity.  Face it, it is a bad idea, and no more land should be utilized unless it is on a brownfield, wasteland, or on an industrial rooftop. While I applaud your concept of mitigation of both forest and farmland, I do not believe this to be a solution. It would be preferable to place even stronger guardrails on this land consuming and groundwater polluting industry. The grandfather clause should also be stricken completely from the text, as well as any loopholes giving solar developers more leeway on circumventing local requirements. Neither should more credence be given to radical "environmental" groups and lobbyists than to actual people who live on and with the land.