The Rural Areas
" In the late 1950's, agricultural and open space preservation arose as a social and economic issue. The loss of agricultural and open space land, as a metropolitan planning issue, was expressed in terms of metropolitan needs and problems--the need to preserve open space and the diseconomy in building the costly infrastructure to serve scattered suburban development. This was at the heart of the issue in 1956 when Maryland, the first state to do so, enacted a law to provide preferential assessments on farmland in the hope of encouraging farmers not to sell their property to developers. Today. 42 states have enacted this type of legislation. Despite preferential assessment programs, however, development pressure has continued to erode farmland..."
From the Policy Framework of the Preservation of Agriculture and Rural Open Space Master Plan (1980)
The Rural Areas encompass the 93,000 acre Agricultural Reserve, along with the larger rural communities of Damascus and Poolesville and a number of small rural crossroads such as Beallsville, Sunshine, and Dickerson.
Master Plans and Resources
- Preservation of Agricultural and Rural Open Space Master Plan (1980)
- Plowing New Ground, Agricultural and Rural Open Space Preservation Program (2001 edition)
- Clarksburg Master Plan & Hyattstown Special Study Area (1994)
- Rustic Roads - master plans, maps and information about the Rustic Roads Advisory Committee
- What Are Transferable Development Rights?
Current Projects
- Ad Hoc Agricultural Policy Working Group Report (Initiative by County Council, January 2007, pdf)
- Briefing on Final Report by the Ad Hoc Agricultural Working Group to the Planning Board, February 1, 2007, pdf)
Rural Area East (east of I-270)
- Damascus Master Plan (2006)
- Sectional Map Amendment (2006) (pdf, 1.5 MB)
- Damascus Study Area Forest Protection and Enhancement Recommendations and Forest Technical Appendix (2004)
- Damascus and Vicinity Environmental Resources Inventory (2003)
- Damascus Limited Master Plan Amendment (1993)
- Damascus Master Plan (1982)
- Olney Master Plan (2005)
- Contact information and more on Georgia Avenue and Rural Area East plans
Rural Area West (west of I-270)
- Boyds Master Plan (1985)
- Woodstock Equestrian Park Master Plan (2002)
- Contact information and more on Potomac Subregion and Rural Area West plans
Additional Resources
- Towns within the Rural Areas
- For more on Agricultural Preservation programs, Ag Facts, Soil Conservation, Cooperative Extension, Farmers Markets, agricultural studies and publications, visit the Agricultural Services Division, Department of Economic Development, Montgomery County
- For more on the Agricultural Reserve, visit Celebrate Rural Montgomery and the Montgomery Countryside Alliance.
Printed copies of these plans are available at the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission's Montgomery Regional Office, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland, 2nd Floor - Information Counter.
