The Farmland Protection Task Force was created pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 134 of the 2000 Session of the General Assembly. The task force was composed of three members of the Senate, five members of the House of Delegates, one citizen member appointed by the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections, and one citizen member appointed by the Speaker of the House. Senator Emmett W. Hanger, Jr., served as the chairman of the task force and Senator W. Roscoe Reynolds served as the vice-chairman of the task force.

Senate Joint Resolution 134 (2000) directed the task force to "develop a comprehensive farmland protection policy for the Commonwealth" that "shall set farmland protection goals, specify strategies for meeting the goals and designate a state government agency or official who is responsible for ensuring that the policy is observed and the goals achieved." SJR 134 (2000) also directed the task force to identify (i) existing efforts to protect farmland in the Commonwealth, (ii) additional incentives that may be needed to encourage landowners to maintain their land in agricultural uses, (iii) government actions that directly or indirectly cause or lead to the conversion of farmland to non-agricultural uses, and (iv) ways that government actions can be modified so that farmland protection goals are met. A copy of SJR 134 (2000) is attached as Appendix A.

SJR 134 (2000) provided that the task force was to complete its work in time to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 2001 Session of the General Assembly.

The task force met four times in the course of its deliberations: August 28, 2000, in the City of Richmond; October 4, 2000, in Loudoun County; November 20, 2000, in the City of Virginia Beach; and December 20, 2000, in the City of Richmond.