grazing; agriculture; county zoning

SB 1680 modifies Arizona's county zoning laws to protect specific agricultural and mining activities. It exempts grazing, farming, agritourism, and agricultural composting (on five or more contiguous commercial acres) from county zoning restrictions, while excluding food establishments, public rodeos, and cannabis cultivation. The bill also establishes special zoning districts for mining operations extracting construction materials (like sand and gravel) in areas with existing mining, requiring counties to form committees of mining operators and residents to recommend regulations on dust, noise, and other issues. These regulations must align with existing federal, state, and local laws and cannot be more stringent than current requirements. The bill applies to counties with over two million people and allows other counties to create similar districts at their discretion.